THE  UNIVERSITY 


OF  ILLINOIS 
LIBRARY 

557 
W75b 
54-- A-D 


GEOLOQI 


Return  this  book  on  or  before  the 
Latest  Date  stamped  below.  A 
charge  is  made  on  all  overdue 
books. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016 


https  ://arch  ive.org/detai  Is/soi  Isu  rveyofbuff541 9wh  it 


WISCONSIN  GEOLOGICAL  AND  NATURAL  HISTORY  SURVEY 

E.  A.  BIRGE,  Director  W.  O.  HOTCHKISS.  State  Geologiat 

A.  R WHITSON,  In  Charge.  Division  of  Soils 

BOIL  SURVEY  IN  COOPERATION  WITH  THE  COLLEGE  OF  AGRICULTURE 

H.  L.  RUSSELL.  Dean 


BULLETIN  NO.  54--A  SOIL  SERIES  NO.  23 


SOIL  SURVEY  jAiy  ^y0r 

'fs*/ 

BUFFALO  COUNTY 

WISCONSIN 


BY 


A.  R.  WHITSON,  W.  J.  GEIB,  T.  J.  DUNNEWALD,  AND  0.  J.  NOER 

OF  THE 

Wisconsin  Geological  and  Natural  History  Survey 
and 

CLARENCE  LOUNSBURY  AND  L.  CANTRELL 

OF  THE 

U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture 

■ H JUN 

survey  conducted  in  cooperation  with  the  united  states 
DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE  BUREAU  OF  SOILS 
MILTON  WHITNEY,  CHIEF 
CURTIS  F.  MARBUT,  IN  CHARGE  SOIL  SURVEY 


MADISON,  WISCONSIN 
PUBLISHED  BY  THE  STATE 
1917 


Wisconsin  Geological  and  Natural  History  Survey 


BOARD  OF  COMMISSIONERS 

EMANUEL  L.  PHILIPP, 

Governor  of  State. 

CHARLES  R.  VAN  HISE,  President, 

President  of  the  University  of  Wisconsin. 

CHARLES  P.  CARY,  Vice-President, 

State  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction. 

HENRY  L.  WARD,  Secretary, 

President  of  the  Wisconsin  Academy  of  Sciences , Arts  and  Letters. 


STAFF  OF  SURVEY 

ADMINISTRATION: 

Edward  A.  Birge,  Director  and  Superintendent.  In  immediate 
charge  of  Natural  History  Division. 

William  0.  Hotchkiss,  State  Geologist.  In  immediate  charge  of 
Geology  Division. 

Lillian  M.  Veerhusen,  Clerk. 

GEOLOGY  DIVISION: 

William  0.  Hotchkiss,  In  Charge. 

T.  C.  Chamberlin,  Consulting  Geologist,  Pleistocene  Geology. 

Samuel  Weidman,  Geologist,  Areal  Geology. 

E.  F.  Bean,  Geologist,  In  Charge  of  Field  Parties. 

0.  W.  Wheelwright,  Geologist,  In  Charge  of  Field  Parties. 

R.  H.  Whitbeck,  Geologist,  Geography  of  Lowrer  Fox  Valley. 
Lawrence  Martin,  Geologist,  Physical  Geography. 

F.  E.  Williams,  Geologist,  Geography  and  History. 

NATURAL  HISTORY  DIVISION: 

Edward  A.  Birge,  In  Charge. 

Chancey  Juday,  Lake  Survey. 

H.  A.  Schuette,  Chemist. 

DIVISION  OF  SOILS: 

A.  R.  Whitson,  In  Charge. 

W.  J.  Geib,*  Editor  and  Inspector. 

W.  M.  Gibbs,  Analyst,  in  charge  of  Soil  Survey  Laboratory. 

T.  J.  Dunnewald,  Field  Assistant  and  Analyst. 

Carl  Thompson,  Field  Assistant  and  Analyst. 

M.  C.  Ford,  Analyst  and  Field  Assistant. 

Martin  O.  Tostrud,  Field  Assistant  and  Analyst. 

• Scientist  in  Soil  Survey ; In  charge  of  field  operations  in  Wisconsin  for 
the  Bureau  of  Soils,  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture. 


\j.  5A -A  'P 


TABLE  OE  CONTENTS 


Table  of  Contents  . . . 

Illustrations  

Introduction 

Soil  Classification 


Page 

3 

5 

7 

9 


CHAPTER  I. 


General  Description  of  the  Area 11 

Soils  16 


CHAPTER  II. 


Light  Colored  Upland  Soils 17 

Knox-  silt  loam 17 

Knox  silt  loam,  steep  phase 18 

Lintonia  silt  loam 23 


CHAPTER  III. 


Dark  Colored  Upland  Soils 27 

Waukesha  silt  loam v 27 

Bates  silt  loam 29 

Bates  fine  sandy  loam 31 

Chemical  composition  and  management  of  dark  colored  up- 
land soils 33 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Light  Colored  Fine  Sandy  Loam  Soils 34 

Boone  fine  sandy  loam 34 

Plainfield  fine  sandy  loam 38 

Lintonia  fine  sandy  loam 39 

Chemical  composition  and  management  of  light  colored  fine 
sandy  loam  soils ’ 41 


CHAPTER  V. 


Light  Colored  Sands  and  Fine  Sands 42 

Lintonia  fine  sand 42 

Boone  fine  sand 43 

Waukesha  gravelly  sandy  loam 44 

Plainfield  fine  sand 45 

Plainfield  sand 47 

Chemical  composition  and  management  of  light  colored  sands 
and  fine  sands 48 


752436 


4 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Miscellaneous  Material 53 

Rough  stony  land 53 

Genesee  fine  sandy  loam 54 

Genesee  silt  loam 56 

Genesee  silty  clay  loam 57 

Wabash  loam 58 

Peat  59 

CHAPTER  VII. 

General  Agriculture  of  Buffalo  County 60 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

The  Problem  of  Soil  Erosion  in  Buffalo  County 66 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Climate  69 


SUMMARY. 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Plates  and  Figures. 

page. 


Plate  I.  View  along  the  Mississippi  River 12 

Plate  II.  View  showing  Lintonia  silt  loam  on  a terrace  joining 

steep  slopes  of  the  upland 22 

Plate  III.  View  across  the  valley  of  the  Buffalo  River 58 

Plate.  IV.  View  showing  how  ravines  may  start  on  a gentle  slope  66 

Fig.  1.  Sketch  map  showing  areas  surveyed 11 

Fig.  2.  Showing  average  dates  of  last  killing  frost  in  the  spring. . 74 

Fig. -3.  Showing  average  dates  of  first  killing  frost  in  the  fall. ...  74 

MAP. 


Soil  Map  of  Buffalo  County,  Wisconsin Attached  to  hack  cover. 


INTRODUCTION 


Before  the  greatest  success  in  agriculture  can  be  reached,  it 
is  necessary  that  the  farmer  should  have  a thorough  knowledge 
of  the  soil  upon  his  own  farm.  A soil  may  be  well  adapted  to  one 
crop,  and  poorly  adapted  to  another  crop.  Clover  will  produce  a 
vigorous  growth  and  profitable  yields  on  the  average  loam  soil 
which  contains  lime  and  is  in  a sweet  condition ; but  on  a sandy 
soil  which  is  sour,  or  in  an  acid  condition,  clover  will  not  make  a 
satisfactory  growth.  We  may  say,  therefore,  that  failure  is  cer- 
tain to  be  invited  when  such  important  facts  are  disregarded,  or 
overlooked.  The  degree  of  success  which  it  is  possible  to  win  on 
any  farm  is  in  direct  proportion  to  the  practical  knowledge  pos- 
sessed by  the  farmer  concerning  the  soil  and  its  adaptation  to 
crops.  A thorough  knowledge  of  the  soil  is  as  essential  to  the 
farmer  as  a knowledge  of  merchandise  and  business  methods  is  to 
the  merchant. 

The  State  of  Wisconsin,  working  in  cooperation  with  the 
United  States  Department  of  Agriculture,  is  making  a careful 
study  of  soils  and  agricultural  conditions  throughout  Wisconsin, 
and  is  preparing  soil  maps  and  soil  reports  of  all  counties  in  the 
State.  A soil  map  shows  the  location  and  extent  of  the  different 
kinds  of  soil.  Tracts  of  10  acres  and  over  are  mapped,  but  often 
areas  of  even  smaller  extent  are  shown.  The  soil  map  is  pre- 
pared by  trained  men,  who  go  over  a county  thoroughly,  and 
examine  the  soil  by  making  a sufficient  number  of  borings  to  a 
depth  of  36  inches  to  keep  account  of  all  variations.  A report  is 
also  made,  to  accompany  and  explain  the  map,  and  this  is  based 
upon  a careful  study  of  the  soils  within  the  region  surveyed,  and 
upon  such  other  features  as  have  a direct  bearing  upon  the  agri- 
culture of  the  area. 

It  is  the  object  of  this  survey  to  make  an  inventory  of  the  soils 
of  the  State,  and  to  be  of  practical  help  to  farmers  by  locating 
and  describing  the  different  soils,  by  determining  their  physical 


8 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 


character  and  chemical  composition,  and  by  offering  suggestions 
for  their  management,  based  upon  the  work  of  the  Soil  Survey 
within  the  area,  covered  in  the  report,  and  upon  the  results  of 
field  tests  made  by  the  Experiment  Station. 

Soil  fertility  depends  upon  two  factors : first,  upon  the  physi- 
cal characteristics  of  the  soil,  such  as  water  holding  capacity, 
workability,  etc.,  and  second,  upon  the  chemical  composition  of 
the  material  composing  the  soil.  The  chemical  composition  de- 
pends upon  the  mode  of  origin  of  the  soil,  and  the  source  of  mate- 
rial from  which  the  soil  is  derived. 

Water  holding  capacity,  and  other  physical  properties  of  soil 
all  depend  chiefly  upon  texture , which  refers  to  the  size  of  the 
individual  soil  grains,  or  particles.  A coarse  sandy  soil,  for  ex- 
ample, will  not  retain  moisture  so  long  as  a loam  soil,  or  clay 
loam,  because  the  finer  the  soil  grains,  the  greater  will  be  the 
total  soil-grain  surface  area  to  which  moisture  may  adhere.  Tex- 
ture is  determined  in  the  field  by  rubbing  the  soil  between  the 
thumb  and  fingers,  and  with  experience  one  soon  becomes  expert 
at  judging  the  size  of  soil  grains.  This  field  judgment  is  verified 
in  the  laboratory  by  a mechanical  analysis,  which  is  made  by  a 
simple  method  of  separating  soil  grains  into  different  groups,  of 
which  there  are  seven.  These  are  known  as  clay,  silt,  very  fine 
sand,  fine  sand,  medium  sand,  course  sand,  and  fine  gravel,  and 
the  following  table  gives  the  size  of  the  soil  particles  of  which 
each  group  or  separate  is  composed. 


TABLE  SHOWING  SIZE  OF  SOIL  PARTICLES 


Fine  gravel  

Coarse  sand  

Medium  sand  

Fine  sand  

Very  fine  sand  

Silt  

Clay  

1 millimeter  equals  .03937  of  an  inch. 


Millimeters 
2.000-1.000 
1.000-  .500 
.500-  .250 
.250-  .100 
.100-  .050 
.050-  .005 
.005-  .000 


A chemical  analysis  is  also  made  of  the  soil  to  determine  the 
amounts  of  various  essential  plant-food  elements  which  are  pres- 
ent. A chemical  analysis  shows  whether  the  soil  contains  a large 
store  of  plant  food,  or  only  a small  quantity,  and  it  indicates 
which  kinds  of  plant  food  will  probably  be  needed  first.  The 
amount  of  organic  matter  in  the  soil  is  also  determined,  and  tests 
are  made  to  show  conditions  relative  to  soil  acidity. 


GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  AREA. 


9 


SOIL  CLASSIFICATION. 

Soils  are  grouped  according  to  texture  into  soil  classes,  a soil 
class  being  made  up  of  soils  having  the  same  texture,  though  dif- 
fering in  other  respects.  A fine  sand,  for  example,  may  be  light 
colored  and  of  alluvial  origin,  while  another  fine  sand  may  be 
dark  in  color  and  of  residual  origin,  while  a third  fine  sand  may 
have  been  blown  into  sand  dunes  by  the  wind,  yet  all  of  these 
soils  would  belong  to  the  same  class,  because  the  greater  propor- 
tion of  the  soil  grains  have  the  same  size  or  texture.  Thus  we 
may  have  different  kinds  of  clays,  loams,  sands,  etc.,  and  the  class 
to  which  any  soil  will  belong  depends  upon  the  size  of  the  indi- 
vidual soil  grains  of  which  it  is  composed,  and  not  upon  its 
color,  origin,  topographic  position,  or  agricultural  value. 


SOIL  CLASSES 

Soils  Containing  Less  Than  20%  Silt  and  Clay 

Coarse  sand. — Over  25%  fine  gravel  and  coarse  sand,  and  less  than  50% 
of  any  other  grade  of  sand. 

Sand. — Over  25%  fine  gravel,  coarse  and  medium  sand,  and  less  than 
50%  fine  sand. 

Fine  sand. — Over  50%  fine  sand,  or  less  than  25%  fine  gravel,  coarse 
and  medium  sand. 

Very  fine  sand. — Over  50%  very  fine  sand. 


Soils  Containing  Between  20-50%  of  Silt  and  Clay 

Sandy  loam. — Over  25%  fine  gravel,  coarse  and  medium  sand. 

Fine  sandy  loam. — Over  50%  fine  sand,  or  less  than  25%  fine  gravel, 
coarse  and  medium  sand. 

Sandy  clay. — Less  than  20%  silt. 

Soils  Containing  over  50%  of  Silt  and  Clay 

Loam. — Less  than  20%  clay,  and  less  than  50%  silt. 

Silt  loam. — Less  than  20%  clay,  and  over  50%  silt. 

Clay  loam. — Between  20  and  30%  clay,  and  less  than  50%  silt. 

Silty  clay  loam. — Between  20  and  30%  clay,  and  over  50%  silt. 

Clay. — Over  30%  clay. 


Soils  may  be  grouped  in  another  way.  Where  soils  are  closely 
related  through  similar  sources  of  the  material  from  which 
derived,  mode  of  origin,  topographic  position,  etc.,  so  that  the 
different  soils  constitute  merely  a graduation  in  texture  of  other- 
wise uniform  material,  such  a group  is  called  soil  series.  It 


10 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 


corresponds  to  the  family  which  is  made  up  of  different  individ- 
uals having  the  same  parentage.  The  Miami  series,  for  example, 
includes  light  colored,  glacial  material  where  the  soils  have  been 
derived  largely  from  the  underlying  limestone,  and  the  soils  in 
the  series  range  in  textuie  from  a clay  loam  to  sand  and  gravel. 
The  Plainfield  series  includes  light  colored  soils  in  regions  where 
no  limestone  is  present,  where  the  parent  rock  was  largely  sand-  . 
stone,  and  where  the  material  occurs  as  outwash  plains  or  stream 
terraces.  The  soils  in  this  series  also  have  a wide  range  in  tex- 
ture. The  name  used  for  a soil  series  usually  indicates  the  local- 
ity where  that  particular  series  was  first  recognized  and  mapped 
by  the  Soil  Survey. 

By  uniting  the  name  of  the  soil  class  which  refers  to  texture, 
with  the  name  of  the  soil  series  which  refers  chiefly  to  origin,  we 
get  the  soil  type  which  is  the  basis  or  unit  of  classifying  and  map- 
ping soils.  A soil  type  thus,  is  a soil  which  is  uniform  through- 
out its  entire  extent  in  -texture,  color,  topographic  position,  and 
other  physical  properties,  and  having  a distinct  agricultural 
unity,  that  is,  being  adapted  to  the  same  crops,  and  requiring 
the  same  treatment.  It  is  also  uniform  in  the  source  of  material 
from  which  it  is  derived,  and  the  mode  of  origin  which,  taken 
together,  determine  the  chemical  composition.  Since  the  soil 
type  is  the  unit  in  classifying  and  mapping  soils,  and  the  basis 
upon  which  experimental  work  should  be  conducted,  every  farmer 
should  be  familiar  with  the  soil  types  on  his  farm,  and  their  lead- 
ing characteristics. 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY, 
WISCONSIN, 


CHAPTER  I. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  OP  THE  AREA. 

Buffalo  County,  Wis.,  borders  the  Minnesota  State  line  about 
midway  between  the  south  State  line  and  Lake  Superior.  It  is 
bounded  on  the  north  by  Pepin  and  Eau  Claire  Counties  and  on 


the  east  by  Trempealeau  County,  the  southern  part  of  the  east- 
ern boundary  line  following  the  Trempealeau  River.  The  south 
boundary  line  runs  in  a southeast  and  northwest  direction,  and 


12 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 


the  county  is  separated  from  Wabasha  and  Winona  Counties, 
Minn.,  by  the  Mississippi  River.  The  northwestern  part  of  the 
county  is  separated  from  Pepin  County  by  the  Chippewa  River. 
The  county  is  about  27  miles  wide  in  the  northern  part  and  grad- 
ually tapers  to  a point  at  the  southern  extremity.  It  is  about 
38^2  miles  long,  and  has  an  area  of  687  square  miles,  or  439,680 
acres. 

Topographically,  Buffalo  County  consists  of  two  plains,  a lower 
and  higher.  The  latter  covers  nine-tenths  or  more  of  the  total 
area  of  the  county,  the  former  occurring  only  in  the  northeastern 
part  as  belts  of  lowland,  one  of  them  being  followed  by  Buffalo 
River  to  Mondovi  and  continuing  in  about  the  same  direction 
northwestward  to  the  county  line  and  beyond,  and  another,  fol- 
lowed by  Elk  Creek.  These  are  connected  by  a belt  along  Buffalo 
River  south  of  Mondovi.  This  is  a rolling  and  undulating  plain 
lying  about  300  feet  below  the  level  (1,100  feet)  of  the  higher 
plain.  It  is  the  extreme  western  part  of  an  extensive  plain  lying 
to  the  east,  and  has  been  formed  on  a soft  sandstone  of  Paleozoic 
age.  It  is  bounded  by  an  escarpment  terminating  in  a rather 
abrupt  slope  from  the  higher  plain.  The  two  branches  of  the 
lower  plain  are  separated  by  an  outlying  remnant  of  the  upper 
plain.  The  lower  plain  is  the  product  of  erosion  in  an  advanced 
stage  of  development,  and  lies  now  at  low  relief. 

The  topography  of  the  upper  plain  is  hilly,  due  to  complete 
dissection  and  it  now  stands  in  a stage  of  maturity. 

According  to  the  census  of  1910,  the  population  of  Buffalo 
County  is  16,006.  The  rural  population  is  evenly  distributed 
through  the  county. 

Alma,  with  a population  of  1,011,  is  the  county  seat.  It  is 
situated  on  the  Mississippi  River  and  has  the  advantage  of  both 
railroad  and  water  transportation.  Fountain  City,  with  a popu- 
lation of  1,031,  is  also  on  the  Mississippi  River  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  county.  Mondovi,  with  a population  of  1,325,  is  the 
largest  incorporated  town  in  the  county.  It  is  situated  on  the 
Buffalo  River,  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  county,  and  is  the 
center  of  a prosperous  agricultural  community.  Nelson  and 
Cochrane  are  smaller  places  on  the  railroad,  while  Gilmanton, 
Montana  and  Waumandee  are  small  villages  off  the  railroads. 

All  the  railway  lines  thus  far  built  have  kept  to  the  valleys. 
There  are  thus  considerable  areas  which  are  at  some  distance 
from  shipping  points.  The  Chicago,  Burlington  & Quincy  Rail- 


VIEW  ALONG  THE  MISSISSIPPI  RIVER, 


Wisconsin  Geol.  and  Nat.  Hist.  Survey. 


GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  AREA. 


13 


road,  running  from  Chicago  to  Minneapolis  and  St.  Paul, 
traverses  the  county,  following  close  to  the  Mississippi  River  and 
passing  through  Fountain  City,  Cochrane,  Alma,  and  Nelson. 
The  Chicago,  St.  Paul,  Minneapolis  & Omaha  Railway  from  Fair- 
child  reaches  into  the  northeastern  corner  of  the  county  and 
terminates  at  Mondovi.  A branch  of  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee 
& St.  Paul  Railway  follows  the  Chippewa  River  to  the  Mississippi 
on  the  Buffalo  County  side,  but  is  of  little  service  to  the  county, 
since  for  most  of  its  extent  it  lies  within  the  flood  plain  of  the 
Chippewa  River,  and  is  very  difficult  to  reach.  The  extreme 
southern  end  of  the  county  is  crossed  by  a branch  of  the  Chicago 
& North  Western  and  also  by  the  Green  Bay  & Western  railroad. 
The  distance  from  Alma  to  Minneapolis  over  the  Chicago,  Bur- 
lington & Quincy  Railroad  is  89  miles  and  to  Chicago  353  miles. 
From  Mondovi  to  Chicago  over  the  North  Western  line  the 
distance  is  327  miles,  and  to  Milwaukee  246  miles.  The  Missis- 
sippi River  affords  water  transportation,  but  at  present  is  used 
to  a comparatively  small  extent. 

The  main  dirt  roads  throughout  the  upland  portion  of  the 
county  are  usually  kept  in  good  condition,  as  the  predominating 
soil  material  naturally  makes  a good  roadbed;  but  hills  are 
numerous,  and  the  grades  are  often  steep,  so  that  hauling  heavy 
loads  is  difficult.  Throughout  sandy  portions  of  the  county, 
where  foreign  material  has  not  been  applied,  the  roads  are  nat- 
urally sandy.  All  parts  of  the  county  are  supplied  with  rural 
mail-delivery  service,  and  telephones  are  common  throughout  the 
country  districts. 

Local  towns  provide  a market  for  varying  quantities  offfarm 
produce  and  supply  shipping  points  from  which  produce  is  ship- 
ped to  outside  markets.  Winona,  Minn.,  just  across  the  Mis- 
sissippi River,  constitutes  a market  for  produce  from  the  south- 
ern part  of  the  county.  Minneapolis,  St.  Paul,  Chicago,  and 
cities  within  the  State  receive  produce  from  Buffalo  County. 

Buffalo  County  lies  in  the  unglaciated  part  of  Wisconsin  and 
in  its  geologic  formations,  topography,  and  soil  conditions  is  rep- 
resentative of  a very  large  area  in  the  southwestern  and  western 
part  of  the  State.  Three  general  physiographic  divisions  are 
easily  recognizable:  (1)  The  uplands  proper,  which  are  gently 

undulating  to  strongly  rolling  and  in  places  even  steep  and 
rough  in  topography;  (2)  the  terraces  and  level  valley  areas 


14 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 


occurring  in  the  position  of  terraces ; and  (3)  the  overflow  plains 
of  the  present  streams. 

The  soils  in  the  last  two  divisions  have  been  derived  to  a very 
large  extent,  if  not  wholly,  from  the  soils  of  the  first  division 
and  represent  wash  material  transported  by  the  streams  and 
deposited  in  their  flood  plains.  The  material  of  the  first  bot- 
toms is  of  recent  deposition  and  the  process  is  still  going  on; 
but  those  in  the  terraces  are  much  older,  some  probably  dating 
back  to  glacial  time  or  before,  with  the  result  that  through 
weathering  the  surface  has  come  to  be  more  like  that  of  the 
uplands  than  that  of  the  first  bottoms. 

The  upland  soils  are  predominantly  silty,  as  is  the  case 
throughout  the  unglaciated  area  of  the  State.  The  great  extent 
of  silty  soils  has  led  some  to  believe  that  a blanket  of  wind  blown 
material  originally  overspread  most  of  the  region  and  that  the 
soils  are  derived  for  the  most  part  from  this  deposit  and  are 
residual  from  the  underlying  formations  which  in  an  undecom- 
posed state  are  now  usually  found  at  a depth  of  less  than  15  feet 
from  the  surface  and  outcrop  in  many  places.  The  silty  material 
is  of  a rather  smooth  texture  and  comparatively  free  of  stone 
or  other  coarse  material,  but  it  is  just  such  material  as  would 
be  expected  to  result  from  the  mature  weathering  of  the  country 
rock,  consisting  of  fine  and  cherty  limestones,  shales,  and  sand- 
stones. 

Over  a large  part  of  the  county  the  uppermost  rock  consists 
of  the  lower  Magnesian  limestone.  Once  the  limestone  was  con- 
tinuous as  the  surface  formation,  but  as  the  result  of  erosion 
which  has  deeply  dissected  and  worn  away  much  of  the  old  plain, 
it  is  now  found  only  as  remnants  capping  the  higher  hills  and 
ridges  and  giving  way  in  all  the  lower  levels  to  the  Potsdam  sand- 
stone, the  immediately  underlying  formation.  The  limestone 
and  a massive  phase  of  the  Potsdam  sandstone  outcrop  along  the 
upper  slopes  and  give  rise  to  steep  stony  slopes  and  cliffs.  At 
lower  levels  the  principal  rock  is  a thin-bedded  sandy  shale  or 
shaly  sandstone  with  occasional  layers  of  a heavier  shale, 
underlain  by  limestone,  characterized  in  general  by  a brownish- 
gray  to  brown  silty  soil  underlain  by  a yellowish  brown  or  buff- 
colored  silty  clay  loam  subsoil,  are  classed  in  the  Knox  series. 
The  soils  of  the  slopes  below  the  limestone  lying  mainly  on  the 
sandstone  and  shale  layers  and  which  have  been  made  up  in  part 
or  wholly  of  materials  derived  from  the  sandstone,  have  been  in- 


GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  AREA. 


15 


eluded  in  the  Boone  series.  Where  these  slope  soils  are  distinctly 
dark  in  color,  they  are  included  in  the  Bates  series.  The  Boone 
series  includes  a fine  sandy  loam  and  a fine  sand.  The  Bates 
series,  of  which  the  area  is  small,  includes  a silt  loam  and  a fine 
sandy  loam. 

Distinct  terraces  are  developed  in  the  Mississippi  Valley  and 
also  in  the  larger  tributary  valleys.  The  terraces  in  tributary 
valleys  are  occupied  largely  by  soils  which  are  predominantly 
silty,  with  comparatively  little  sand,  while  in  the  Mississippi  Val- 
ley and  Chippewa  Valley  the  greater  part  of  the  material  out- 
side of  the  present  flood  plain  is  of  a sandy  nature.  This  ter- 
race material  is  classed  with  three  series — the  Waukesha,  which 
is  black  or  dark  brown ; the  Lintonia,  which  is  light  colored  and 
not  underlain  by  gravel  or  other  coarse  material ; and  the  Plain- 
field,  which  is  light  colored  and  rests  upon  a substratum  of  sand 
and  gravel.  In  the  Waukesha  series  there  are  two  types,  the 
gravelly  sandy  loam  and  silt  loam.  In  the  Lintonia  series  three 
types  are  recognized — the  Lintonia  silt  loam,  fine  sandy  loam, 
and  fine  sand;  and  in  the  Plainfield  series  three  types — sand, 
fine  sand,  and  fine  sandy  loam. 

In  many  of  the  smaller  valleys  tributary  to  the  Mississippi  and 
Chippewa  Valleys  the  present  flood  plain  consists  of  a dark-col- 
ored material,  variable  in  texture  and  color,  and  poorly  drained. 
This  material  has  been  carried  down  from  the  unglaciated  higher 
lands,  transported  by  streams  and  redeposited.  Such  material 
is  classed  with  the  Wabash  series,  and  in  the  present  survey  one 
type — the  Wabash  loam — is  recognized  and  mapped.  The  soil 
of  the  present  flood  planes  of  the  Chippewa  and  Mississippi  Riv- 
ers which,  in  addition  to  being  poorly  drained,  is  subject  to  over- 
flow by  these  streams  at  intervals,  has  been  classed  with  the  Gen- 
esee series.  This  series  includes  a fine  sandy  loam,  silt  loam,  and 
silty  clay  loam. 

On  the  steep  slopes  throughout  the  upland  part  of  the  county 
there  are  extensive  tracts  where  the  outcrops  of  rock  are  so 
numerous  or  the  surface  so  steep  and  broken  that  the  land  is  of 
no  agricutural  value  except  for  the  little  pasturage  it  affords. 
Such  land  has  been  classed  as  Rough  Stony  Land  and  may  be 
considered  as  non-agricultural. 

A few  low-lying  acres  occur  in  which  the  material  consists  of> 
vegetable  matter  in  various  stages  of  decomposition.  Such  tracts 
are  mapped  as  Peat, 


16 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 


The  following  table  gives  the  name  and  the  actual  and  rela- 
tive extent  of  each  of  the  soils*  mapped  in  Buffalo  County. 


Soil 


Knox  slit  loam  

Steep  phase  

Rough  stony  land  

Wabash  loam  

Genesee  soils  

Boone  fine  sandy  loam 

Rolling-  phase  

Waukesha  silt  loam  

Lintonia  silt  loam  

Bates  silt  loam  

Boone  fine  sand  

Peat  

Plainfield  fine  sandy  loam 

Lintonia  fine  sandy  loam 

Plainfield  fine  sand  

Plainfield  sand  

Bates  fine  sandy  loam 

Waukesha  gravelly  sandy  loam 
Lintonia  silt  loam  

Total 


Acres 

Per  cent 

104, 256* 

105,2165 

47.6 

62,912 

14.3 

36,480 

8.3 

31,872 

7.3 

20,200) 

1,9845 

6.7 

19,520 

4.4 

7,168 

1.6 

7,168 

1.6 

6,656 

1.5 

6,409 

1.5 

6,0.0 

1.4 

3,904 

.9 

3,776 

.9 

3,776 

.9 

1,344 

.3 

1,088 

.2 

640 

.1 

439,680 

* The  soil  classified  in  this  report  as  Knox  silt  loam  with  its  steep  phase,  includes 
what  was  mapped  by  the  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Soils  as  Boone  silt  loam,  with  a rolling 
phase,  and  Union  silt  loam  with  a steep  phase.  The  Waukesha  silt  loam  and  gravelly 
sandy  loam  were  originally  included  in  the  La  Crosse  series.  The  Plainfield  fine  sandy 
loam  and  fine  sand  also  include  some  soils  previously  mapped  by  the  Bureau  of  Soils 
as  belonging  to  the  La  Crosse  series. 


LIGHT  COLORED  UPLAND  SOILS. 


17 


CHAPTER  II. 

LIGHT  COLORED  UPLAND  SOILS. 

Knox  Silt  Loam 

Description. — The  surface  soil  of  the  Knox  silt  loam  to  an  aver- 
age depth  of  10  inches  consists  of  a light-brown  or  grayish  friable 
silt  loam.  When  dry  it  has  a smooth,  floury  feel.  The  amount  of 
organic  matter  present  in  the  soil  is  rather  small,  and  this  ac- 
counts, in  part,  for  the  light  color.  The  subsoil  consists  of  a yel- 
lowish-brown or  buff-colored  silt  loam,  which  becomes  heavier, 
more  compact,  and  claylike  with  increased  depth,  until,  at  about 
18  to  24  inches,  it  is  a silty  clay  loam.  The  soil  mantle  extends  to 
an  average  depth  of  probably  8 to  12  feet.  The  underlying  rock 
was  not  reached  with  the  soil  auger  except  in  local  spots  on  a 
narrow  ridge,  at  the  edge  of  a bluff,  or  at  the  head  of  a ravine. 
Both  soil  and  subsoil  are  practically  free  from  stone,  gravel,  or 
other  coarse  material,  although  occasional  fragments  of  chert 
are  to  be  seen  on  the  surface  or  in  the  subsoil  close  to  the  lime- 
stone rock.  On  account  of  the  heavy  subsoil  and  the  uniformly 
silty  character  of  the  soil,  the  type  is  commonly  referred  to  by 
farmers  throughout  the  county  as  a clay. 

The  most  important  variation  in  this  soil  has  been  designated 
as  the  steep  phase,  on  account  of  its  steep  slopes  and  rough,  un- 
even topography.  This  phase  is  described  in  greater  detail  fol- 
lowing the  description  of  the  typical  soil. 

Minor  variations  in  the  typical  soil  occur,  chiefly  on  the  nar- 
row ridges,  where  the  surface  soil  has  sometimes  been  removed 
and  the  heavy  subsoil  exposed.  In  such  places  the  depth  to  the 
underlying  rock  is  also  less  than  over  the  more  extensive  areas 
of  this  type  and  in  some  instances  it  can  be  reached  with  a 3-foot 
auger.  On  some  of  the  lower  slopes  the  wash  from  adjoining 
higher  land  has  accumulated  to  a small  extent,  and  the  surface 
soil  in  such  places  is  somewhat  deeper  than  the  average.  On  some 
slopes  the  soil  is  somewhat  darker  in  color  and  contains  more 


18 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 


organic  matter  than  typical.  While  a number  of  such  minor 
variations  occur,  this  soil,  taken  as  a whole,  is  remarkably  uni- 
form. 

Extent  coid  Distribution. — The  Knox  silt  loam,  with  its  steep 
phase,  is  one  of  the  most  important  soil  types  in  Buffalo  County. 
It  occurs  in  all  parts  of  the  county  and  occupies  the  limestone 
ridge  tops  of  the  entire  upland  portion  of  the  survey.  It  lies  at 
a higher  level  than  any  other  type  and  includes  all  of  the  lands 
above  the  rough  stony  escarpments.  It  also  covers  many  of  the 
valley  slopes  descending  to  the  level  valley  terrace  soils. 

Topography  and  Drainage. — The  topography  of  the  Knox  silt 
loam  as  it  occurs  on  the  ridge  tops  may  be  classed,  in  most  cases, 
as  undulating  to  gently  rolling.  On  the  narrower  ridges  and  at 
the  heads  of  valleys  it  becomes  more  rolling  and  grades  into  the 
steep  phase,  while  over  portions  of  the  broader  ridges  the  surface 
is  nearly  level.  That  part  of  the  typical  soil  occupying  the  lower 
slopes  and  lower  outlying  ridges  is  gently  rolling,  but  often 
grades  abruptly  into  the  steep  phaze  or  Rough  Stony  land. 

On  account  of  the  fine  texture  and  the  peculiar  structure  of 
this  soil  a considerable  proportion  of  the  type  is  subject  to  ero- 
sion, and  care  must  be  exercised  in  selecting  crop  rotations  and  in 
the  cultivation  of  all  slopes,  even  though  the  slope  is  gentle. 
Some  erosion  will  take  place  even  on  rather  gentle  slopes  where 
intertilled  crops  are  grown  or  where  the  ground  is  left  bare  and 
not  cultivated  for  a considerable  time.  Wherever  the  slopes  are 
so  steep  that  intertilled  crops  can  only  be  grown  at  intervals, 
or  where  no  crops  other  than  grass  can  be  grown  without  danger 
of  serious  erosion,  such  slopes  have  been  included  with  the  steep 
phase. 

Owing  to  the  character  of  the  topography,  the  natural  surface 
drainage  of  the  type  is  good,  so  that  tile  drains  will  doubtless 
never  be  necessary  except  possibly  on  some  of  the  broader  ridges, 
where  the  surface  is  more  nearly  level  than  elsewhere. 

Origin. — The  Knox  silt  loam  has  the  uniform  silty  texture, 
the  buff-colored  subsoil,  and  other  field  characteristics  of  a loes- 
sial  formation,  though  it  is  considered  that  part  of  the  material 
has  been  derived  from  the  underlying  rock,  the  lower  Magnesian 
limestone.  The  material  forming  this  soil  is  sometimes  found  to 
be  in  a slightly  acid  condition.  The  subsoil  is  less  acid  than  the 
soil,  and  frequently  shows  no  acidity  at  all. 


LIGHT  COLORED  UPLAND  SOILS. 


19 


Native  Vegetation. — The  original  timber  growth  on  this  type 
consisted  chiefly  of  white,  black,  and  bnr  oaks.  Maple,  poplar, 
hickory,  white  birch,  and  basswood  are  also  commonly  seen,  and 
hazel  brush  is  frequently  abundant.  Some  of  the  older  settlers 
state  that  most  of  the  timber  was  originally  on  the  ridges,  and 
that  many  of  the  valleys  were  treeless,  being  burned  over  an- 
nually by  the  Indians,  who  used  some  of  the  land  for  grazing. 
Some  of  the  wider  valleys,  with  dark-colored  slopes,  were  tim- 
bered sparsely  with  oak  and  were  called  ‘ ‘ oak  openings.  ’ ’ Most  of 
the  timber  which  is  now  standing  is  confined  to  the  steepest  slopes 
and  associated  chiefly  with  the  Rough  stony  land.  Small  wood 
lots  are  also  seen  on  top  of  some  of  the  narrow  ridges. 

Present  Agricultural  Development. — By  far  the  greater  part 
of  the  typical  Knox  silt  loam  is  under  cultivation  and  highly  im- 
proved, while  much  of  the  steep  phase  is  still  in  timber  or  pas- 
ture land.  The  leading  type  of  agriculture  followed  consists  of 
dairying  in  conjunction  with  general  farming.  As  the  grow- 
ing of  wheat,  which  was  a very  important  industry  20  to  25 
years  ago,  declined,  the  raising  of  live  stock  and  the  dairy  in- 
dustry gradually  developed. 

The  principal  crops  grown  at  the  present  time  and  the  average 
yields  obtained  are  as  follows : Corn,  40  to  45  bushels ; oats,  35 
to  45  bushels ; barley,  30  to  35  bushels ; wheat,  20  to  25  bushels ; 
and  hay,  2 to  2 y2  tons  per  acre.  Oats  are  grown  more  extensively 
than  any  other  grain  crops.  The  acreage  of  barley  is  consider- 
ably smaller  than  that  of  oats  and  the  acreage  devoted  to  wheat 
is  still  less.  The  quality  of  the  small  grains  grown  on  the  Knox 
silt  loam  is  excellent,  and  this  soil  is  generally  held  to  be  a better 
grain  soil  than  any  of  the  other  soils  of  Buffalo  County.  Corn, 
on  the  other  hand,  does  not  do  so  well  on  this  type  as  on  the 
darker  colored  soils  of  the  Wabash  or  Waukesha  series,  though 
the  crop  is  successfully  grown  wherever  this  soil  occurs.  Most  of 
the  grain  and  corn  grown  is  fed  to  stock  on  the  farms,  though 
elevators  at  Alma,  Fountain  City,  and  Mondovi  still  ship  much 
oats  and  barley  and  some  wheat.  Where  the  land  is  well  farmed 
but  little  trouble  is  experienced  in  growing  clover.  When  the 
snowfall  is  light  the  alternate  freezing  and  thawing  of  the  ground 
sometimes  kills  out  clover.  Pasturage,  in  general,  is  excellent, 
being  scant  only  in  very  dry  weather,  or  on  shallow  slopes  or 
knolls  exposed  directly  to  the  sun. 


20 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 


Buckwheat,  rye,  and  sorghum  are  produced  on  this  soil,  but 
their  acreage  is  never  large.  Alfalfa  is  successfully  grown  by  a 
few  farmers  and  the  acreage  will  no  doubt  be  gradually  increased, 
as  the  crop  provides  excellent  feed,  which  is  of  great  value, 
especially  to  the  dairy  farmers.  Potatoes  are  grown  for  home 
use  on  practically  every  farm,  but  seldom  on  a commercial  scale. 
Tobacco  is  grown  to  a small  extent,  but  the  crop  is  not  increasing 
in  favor.  Beans  and  peas  are  not  extensively  grown  on  this  type, 
being  confined  chiefly  to  soils  of  lighter  texture.  Garden  crops, 
such  as  strawberries,  tomatoes,  lettuce,  radishes,  and  cucumbers, 
and  bush  berries  all  do  well  and  are  grown  for  home  use,  but 
seldom  on  a commercial  scale. 

The  rotation  of  crops  most  commonly  followed  on  the  Knox 
silt  loam  consists  of  a small-grain  crop,  such  as  oats,  barley,  or 
wheat,  with  which  clover  and  timothy  are  seeded,  hay  being  cut 
for  two  years,  after  which  the  land  is  plowed  for  corn.  A field 
may  be  pastured  for  a year,  but  on  account  of  the  large  amount 
of  steep  land  on  most  of  the  farms  such  land  is  used  for  pasture 
and  the  hay  fields  are  not  often  grazed. 

When  the  soil  is  cultivated  under  the  proper  moisture  condi- 
tions but  little  difficulty  is  experienced  in  securing  a good  seed 
bed.  If  handled  when  too  wet  there  is  danger  of  puddling. 
Where  the  clay  loam  subsoil  is  near  the  surface  or  exposed  on 
the  narrow  ridge  tops,  cultivation  is  more  difficult  than  on  the 
broad  ridges  where  the  surface  soil  has  a good  depth.  Because 
of  the  rather  low  organic-matter  content,  the  type  is  somewhat 
less  loamy  than  some  of  the  other  silt  loams.  Practically  the  only 
fertilizer  used  on  this  soil  is  stable  manure.  A second  crop  -of 
clover  may  be  plowed  under,  but  the  practice  of  green  manuring 
is  not  at  all  common.  Fall  plowing  is  practiced  to  some  extent, 
and  this  is  advisable  -where  there  is  but  little  danger  from  ero- 
sion, but  on  slopes  which  are  apt  to  wash  it  is  better  to  plow  in 
the  spring. 

While  farming  is  well  developed  on  this  type  and  most  farmers 
are  prosperous,  there  is  considerable  room  for  improvement. 

Land  of  this  type  has  a considerable  range  in  value,  depending 
upon  location,  improvements,  and  the  character  of  the  surface. 
The  best  improved  farms,  conveniently  located,  and  with  a large 
proportion  of  their  acreage  on  the  broadest  ridge  tops,  range  in 
value  from  $75  to  $100  an  acre.  Most  farms  include  land  of  the 
steep  phase  of  this  type,  and  many  include  some  Rough  stony 


LIGHT  COLORED  UPLAND  SOILS. 


21 


land,  which  detract  from  their  value.  In  some  remote  parts  of 
the  county,  and  where  there  is  a large  proportion  of  the  steep 
land  on  the  farms,  values  range  from  $30  to  $60  an  acre. 

Knox  Silt  Loam , Steep  Phase. — In  general  physical  character 
and  appearance  the  soil  of  the  steep  phase  is  essentially  like  the 
typical  soil,  the  basis  of  separation  being  one  of  topography.  As 
a whole  the  color  and  texture  of  the  soil  may  be  slightly  lighter 
than  the  typical  soil,  and  the  average  depth  to  rock  is  less.  Be- 
cause of  its  steep,  broken  character,  this  phase  has  a lower  agri- 
cultural value  than  the  typical  soil. 

The  steep  phase  of  the  Knox  silt  loam  occurs  in  all  parts  of 
the  county  intimately  associated  with  the  main  type  and  fre- 
quently grading  into  it  in  such  a way  as  to  make  the  drawing  of 
a definite  boundary  line  difficult.  It  occupies  steep  slopes  gen- 
erally about  the  heads  of  small  streams  heading  in  the  lime- 
stone areas  above  the  Rough  stony  land.  On  these  slopes,  which 
form  the  more  or  less  steep  sides  of  the  valleys,  the  silt  soil  is  sub- 
ject to  erosion  and  careful  methods  are  often  necessary  to  prevent 
destructive  ditch  formations  while  these  slopes  are  under  culti- 
vation. When  the  steep  slopes  are  neither  wooded,  in  pasture, 
nor  covered  by  a growing  crop  to  protect  them,  the  soil  washes 
badly  and  ditches  are  quickly  and  deeply  cut  into  the  hillsides. 
When  erosion  has  once  started  in  this  way  it  is  difficult  to  check, 
so  that  methods  of  prevention  are  very  important. 

The  natural  drainage  of  the  steep  phase  is  good,  except  in 
small  areas  along  the  slopes  where  springs  and  seeps  may  occur. 
The  greater  part  of  it  is  so  rolling  that  too  large  a percentage  of 
the  rainfall  runs  off,  and  crops  often  suffer  from  lack  of  moisture. 

The  Knox  silt  loam,  steep  phase,  has  practically  the  same  ori- 
gin as  the  typical  soil,  though  as  a rule  there  is  less  depth  to  bed- 
rock, and  chert  fragments  occur  on  the  surface  and  through  the 
soil  mass  in  greater  abundance.  As  with  the  typical  soil,  it  is 
partly  residual  from  a cherty  magnesian  limestone  and  partly  of 
loessial  origin. 

The  original  timber  growth  consisted  of  the  same  trees  as  on 
the  typical  soil,  oak  predominating.  Most  of  the  standing  tim- 
ber outside  of  the  bottom  lands  is  now  found  on  this  phase  and 
on  the  Rough  stony  land  with  which  it  is  associated,  though  a 
considerable  proportion  of  the  steep  land  is  cleared  and  either  in 
cultivation  or  pasture  land. 


22 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 


The  same  crops  are  grown  on  the  steep  phaze  as  on  the  typical 
soil,  but  less  corn  and  other  intertilled  crops  are  grown  and 
more  of  the  land  is  in  grass  and  pasture  than  on  the  main  type. 
The  ordinary  yields  of  all  crops  are  somewhat  lower.  Because 
of  the  steep  character  of  the  surface  the  phase  is  more  difficult 
to  work  than  the  typical  soil.  The  steepest  portions  of  the  phase 
are  now  in  timber  or  pasture  land  and  the  remainder  is  devoted 
to  general  farming. 

Land  values  are  subject  to  considerable  variation.  The  phase 
usually  forms  only  a portion  of  the  farms,  occurring  in  associa- 
tion with  the  typical  soil  and  in  some  cases  also  with  Rough 
stony  land.  It  is  estimated,  however,  that  the  value  of  this  class 
of  land  alone  would  range  from  $25  to  $50  an  acre,  depending 
upon  the  degree  of  slope  and  the  area  under  cultivation,  as  well 
as  upon  the  location  and  improvements. 

Chemical  Composition  and  Management. — Numerous  analyses 
of  the  Knox  silt  loam  indicate  that  it  contains  on  the  average 
about  900  pounds  of  phosphorus,  35,000  pounds  of  potassium 
and  2,700  pounds  of  nitrogen  in  the  surface  soil  eight  inches 
of  an  acre.  Analysis  of  the  timbered  soil  as  compared  with 
cultivated  fields  indicates  that  cropping  reduced  the  content  of 
phosphorus  in  the  virgin  soil  to  a considerable  extent  in  some 
cases.  The  most  severe  drain  on  phosphorus  was  probably  during 
the  grain  raising  days  of  30  or  40  years  ago  and  the  removal  of 
this  element  of  plant  food  is  possibly  not  so  rapid  now  under 
the  dairy  system  of  farming. 

The  total  potassium  is  sufficient  to  meet  the  needs  of  crops 
for  a long  time  to  come,  but  the  availability  of  the  mineral  for 
the  use  of  plants  can  be  greatly  increased  by  having  a supply 
of  decomposing  organic  matter  in  the  soil.  The  improvement  of 
this  soil  as  a whole  calls  for  more  organic  matter  and  may  be 
added  in  the  form  of  green  manuring  crops  turned  under  or  as 
manure. 

Many  fields  have  become  sour  or  acid  on  the  surface  through 
continued  cropping,  especially  on  the  higher  ridges,  the  soil  in 
the  valleys  and  on  the  slopes  being  supplied  with  lime  dissolved 
by  rain  and  flood  water  from  the  limestone  which  caps  the  ridges. 
Where  trouble  with  clover  or  alfalfa  is  had,  lime  will  be  needed 
and  such  fields  should  be  tested  with  blue  litmus  paper  for  acid- 
ity. Where  the  soil  is  acid  a ton  of  finely  ground  limestone  per 


On  many  of  these  steep  slopes  the  soil  is  shallow,  and  the  underlying-  rock  frequently  outcrops.  Care  should  be  taken  to  prevent  erosion  on  such  slopes 
when  the  timber  is  removed.  The  steepest  slopes  should  be  allowed  to  remain  forested. 


Wisconsin  Geol.  and  Nat.  Hist.  Survey.  Plate  II 


LIGHT  COLORED  UPLAND  SOILS. 


23 


acre  will  be  found  to  help  clover,  while  for  alfalfa  2 tons  or  more 
should  be  used. 

The  question  of  erosion  is  an  important  one  on  this  type  of 
soil  and  especially  on  that  part  designated  as  steep  phase.  In 
many  cases  the  loss  of  organic  matter  and  phosphorus  from  the 
soil  by  erosion  is  considerable,  and  often  the  fertility  and  yields 
on  some  fields  could  be  greatly  improved  by  proper  attention 
being  paid  to  the  arrangements  of  the  fields  and  crops  and  the 
protection  of  the  fields  from  erosion. 

When  the  slope  becomes  so  steep  that  the  bare  ground  washes 
to  any  extent,  care  should  be  used  to  keep  that  field  in  hay  or 
pasture  as  much  as  possible  or  it  should  be  laid  out  in  alternate 
strips  of  cultivated  crop  and  sod  land  if  practicable.  Where  the 
slope  is  so  steep  that  modern  farm  machinery  cannot  be  used, 
cultivated  crops  should  seldom  if  ever  be  .grown.  When  timbered 
such  slopes  should  remain  so  and  be  used  for  pasture  only. 
Badly  eroded  slopes  can  be  restored  by  proper  cropping  and 
management.  For  further  data  on  erosion  see  Bulletin  272  of 
the  Wisconsin  Experiment  Station. 

Chemical  analyses  of  Lintonia  silt  loam  show  it  to  contain  on 
the  average  slightly  more  of  the  essential  plant  food  elements 
than  occur  in  Knox  silt  loam  which  it  very  much  resembles  in 
texture,  structure,  and  color.  Suggestions  offered  for  the 
improvement  and  management  of  the  Knox  silt  loam  will  also 
apply  to  this  type  of  soil  except  as  regards  erosion.  While  this 
soil  is  eroded  in  some  cases,  the  topography  being  level  sheet 
erosion  does  not  often  occur,  and  methods  for  combatting  gullies 
only  are  necessary. 


Lintonia  Silt  Loam. 

Description. — The  surface  soil  of  the  Lintonia  silt  loam  to  an 
average  depth  of  10  inches  consists  of  a brownish-gray,  friable 
. silt  loam,  which  becomes  lighter  colored  on  drying  and  frequently 
has  a whitish  appearance.  The  amount  of  organic  matter  pres- 
ent in  the  surface  soil  is  comparatively  small,  and  this  accounts 
in  part  for  the  light  color  of  the  material.  A slight  acid  condi- 
tion has  developed  in  places  in  the  surface  soil,  as  indicated  by 
the  litmus-paper  test.  The  subsoil  consists  of  a yellowish-brown 
or  buff-colored  silt  loam,  which  usually  becomes  somewhat  heavier 
and  more  compact  with  depth,  and  at  24  to  30  inches  may  be 


24 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 


a silty  clay  loam.  Below  this  depth  there  is  often  a considerable 
amount  of  fine  and  very  fine  sand,  and  this  mixture  extends  to 
a depth  of  3 feet  or  over  and  grades  into  stratified  fine  sand, 
with  layers  of  gravel  in  the  lower  depths.  The  type  is  subject 
to  some  variation,  and  in  Glencoe  Township  and  the  valley  of 
Buffalo  River  the  soil  is  somewhat  darker  than  typical. 

The  soil  quite  closely  resembles  the  Knox  silt  loam  in  texture 
and  color,  but  differs  from  it  in  topography,  origin,  and  the 
position  which  it  occupies. 

Extent  and  Distribution. — The  most  extensive  areas  of  Lin- 
tonia  silt  loam  are  found  in  the  Buffalo  River  Valley  in  the 
vicinity  of  Tell,  where  terraces  of  this  soil  have  a width  of  from 
one-half  to  three-fourths  of  a mile,  and  these  frequently  extend 
back  to  tributary  valleys  for  1 mile  to  3 miles.  A number  of 
areas  also  occur  in  Little  Bear  Creek  Valley  in  the  northwestern 
part  of  the  county.  Lower  Big  Waumandee  creek  valley  and 
tributaries,  and  tributary  valleys  of  the  Trempealeau  River  in 
the  southeastern  part  of  the  survey  also  contain  quite  extensive 
remnants  of  Lintonia  silt  loam  terraces. 

Topography  and  Drainage. — The  surface  of  the  Lintonia  silt 
loam  is  usually  level  or  nearly  so,  frequently  having  a gentle 
slope  toward  the  stream  channels  along  which  it  occurs.  The 
type  occurs  as  terraces,  usually  rather  narrow,  but  extending 
along  the  streams  for  considerable  distances.  The  part  adjoining 
the  upland  rises  slowly  and  frequently  grades  into  the  Knox  silt 
loam  so  gradually  that  the  boundary  line  must  be  arbitrarily 
placed.  Near  the  Mississippi  Valley  the  terraces  of  this  soil  have 
an  elevation  of  20  to  30  feet  above  the  present  flood  plain,  but  as 
the  distance  back  from  the  Mississippi  River  increases,  the  eleva- 
tion of  the  terraces  above  the  flood  plain  becomes  less,  and  the 
difference  finally  is  not  over  4 or  5 feet.  As  this  type  is  found 
chiefly  at  the  foot  of  considerably  higher  lying  slopes,  which  are 
often  very  steep,  large  quantities  of  water  must  pass  over  the 
terraces  during  heavy  rains,  and  as  a result  deep  ravines  are  * 
frequently  formed.  Such  gullies  may  become  a source  of  great 
expense  and  loss  to  individual  farms.  The  natural  drainage  of 
this  type  is  usually  good,  but  there  are  a few  places  where  the 
surface  is  nearly  level,  and  in  places  over  such  tracts  tile  drains 
could  be  installed  to  advantage. 

Origin.- — The  material  composing  the  Lintonia  silt  loam  is 
largely  of  alluvial  origin  and  was  deposited  during  glacial 


LIGHT  COLORED  UPLAND  SOILS. 


25 


periods  when  the  melting  ice  sheets  greatly  increased  the  vol- 
ume of  water  flowing  down  the'  Mississippi  River  and  many  of  its 
tributaries.  The  high  water  in  the  Mississippi  River  itself 
caused  a backwater  or  partly  ponded  condition  in  the  tributary 
streams.  In  these  more  or  less  quiet  waters  the  finer  particles 
now  forming  the  soil  were  deposited.  The  coarser  particles  in 
the  deep  subsoil  were  deposited  earlier,  before  the  ponded  condi- 
tion prevailed  and  when  the  current  was  swifter.  It  is  probable 
that  a portion  of  the  surface  material,  especially  close  to  the  foot 
of  the  bluffs,  is  partly  colluvial,  having  been  washed  down  the 
steep  slopes  from  the  Boone  and  Knox  silt  loam  areas,  which 
are  always  found  at  a higher  elevation. 

The  gravel  in  the  Lintonia  terraces  is  of  glacial  origin.  In  the 
valley  of  Buffalo  River  such  gravel  is  found  as  far  up  as  Mon- 
do  vi,  though  none  is  found  in  this  valley  more  than  a mile  east 
of  Mondovi.  Such  gravel,  however,  is  found  in  the  valley  of 
Farrington  Creek  to  the  west  of  Mondovi. 

Native  Vegetation. — The  original  timber  growth  on  the  Lin- 
tonia silt  loam  consisted  chiefly  of  oak,  with  some  hickory  and  a 
few  other  species.  Most  of  the  timber  has  been  removed.  In  the 
ravines  there  is  now  a second  growth  of  sumac,  hazel,  and  other 
brush. 

Present  Agricultural  Development  * — Practically  all  the  type, 
except  the  more  eroded  areas,  is  put  to  some  agricultural  use, 
and  most  of  it  is  cultivated  regularly.  The  land  where  erosion 
is  most  active  is  kept  in  pasture  most  of  the  time,  or  the  grass 
may  be  cut  for  hay.  The  crops  generally  grown  and  the  yields 
obtained  are:  Corn,  45  to  50  bushels;  oats,  25  to  40  bushels; 
barley,  30  to  35  bushels ; and  hay,  1 y2  to  2 tons  per  acre.  Pota- 
toes are  grown  on  the  type  to  a small  extent  for  home  use,  but 
seldom  on  a commercial  scale.  The  usual  rotation  consists  of 
corn  followed  by  a small  grain,  either  oats  or  barley,  or  some- 
times by  one  year  of  each  of  these  crops,  and  then  by  clover  and 
timothy  mixed,  seeded  with  the  grain,  the  field  being  cut  for 
hay  one  or  two  years,  before  returning  to  corn.  The  stable 
manure  is  usually  applied  to  the  sod  to  be  plowed  under  for  the 
corn  crops.  The  methods  of  cultivation,  fertilization,  and  treat- 
ment are  practically  the  same  as  those  practiced  on  the  Knox  silt 

*For  chemical  composition  and  management  see  the  discussion  on 
composition  of  Knox  silt  loam  on  page  22. 


26 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 


loam.  The  soil  is  not  difficult  to  cultivate,  and  where  the  areas 
are  of  sufficient  size  to  form  fields  or  the  larger  part  of  a farm, 
this  terrace  soil  may  be  considered  one  of  the  most  desirable 
types  in  the  county. 

Farms  made  up  largely  of  soil  of  this  type  sell  for  $50  and  $80 
an  acre,  depending  upon  the  location  and  improvements. 


DARK  COLORED  UPLAND  SOILS. 


27 


CHAPTER  III. 

DARK  COLORED  UPLAND  SOILS. 

WAUKESHA  SILT  LOAM. 

Description. — The  surface  soil  of  the  Waukesha  silt  loam  to 
a depth  of  12  to  18  inches  consists  of  a dark-brown  or  black  silt 
loam  containing  a high  percentage  of  organic  matter.  Its  high 
percentage  of  silt  and  organic  matter  gives  the  soil  an  extremely 
smooth  feel.  The  subsoil  consists  of  a brown  or  buff-colored  silt 
loam,  which  gradually  becomes  heavier  in  texture  and  lighter  in 
color  and  at  24  to  30  inches  consists  of  a yellowish-brown,  com- 
pact, heavy  silt  loam  or  silty  clay  loam.  In  local  areas  where  the 
drainage  is  deficient  the  subsoil  shows  a slight  mottling  of  light 
gray  or  drab.  This  heavy  subsoil  extends  to  a considerable  depth 
and  the  soil  section  will  probably  average  7 to  8 feet  in  thick- 
ness. Below  this  heavy  mantle  are  to  be  found  stratified  beds  of 
sand.  Along  the  Mississippi  and  Buffalo  Rivers  and  Farrington 
Creek  some  glacial  gravel  may  also  be  found  with  the  sand. 

Extent  and  Distribution. — The  largest  areas  of  this  soil  occur 
in  Little  and  Big  Waumandee  Valleys,  where  it  is  most  typically 
developed.  In  the  vicinity  of  Anchorage  the  black  soil  occupies 
most  of  each  valley  for  a distance  of  6 or  7 miles.  The  area  varies 
in  width  from  one-fourth  to  three-fourths  of  a mile.  A compara- 
tively extensive  area  is  mapped  also  at  the  mouth  of  Schultz  and 
Newton  Valleys  west  of  Mondovi  and  in  Farmington  Valley 
northwest  of  Mondovi.  Strips  of  this  type  about  one-fourth  mile 
in  width  and  from  1 mile  to  3 miles  in  length  are  found  in  a 
great  many  of  the  smaller  tributary  valleys  scattered  over  the 
county. 

Topography  and  Drainage. — The  surface  of  the  Waukesha  silt 
loam  is  level  or  has  a very  gentle  slope  toward  the  streams  along 
which  it  occurs.  In  places  it  occupies  a distinct  terrace  and  lies 
about  6 to  10  feet  above  the  present  flood  plain  of  the  stream, 
while  in  other  places  it  occupies  an  entire  valley  floor  through 


28 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 


which  the  stream  has  cut  its  channel,  with  the  present  water 
level  from  3 to  10  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  type.  Natural 
drainage  over  most  of  this  type  is  fairly  good.  A few  of  the 
lower  areas  are  subject  to  overflow  during  the  heavy  rains  of 
spring,  but  by  far  the  greater  proportion  is  not  subject  to 
inundation.  A considerable  part  of  the  type  would  be  benefited 
by  tile  drains,  though  these  have  not  been  installed  to  any  great 
extent.  Because  of  the  gentle  slope  or  level  character  of  the 
surface,  there  is  no  danger  of  erosion. 

Origin. — The  material  composing  the  Waukesha  silt  loam  is  of 
alluvial  origin  and  occurs  in  the  valleys  of  many  streams  through- 
out the  county.  The  upper  section,  consisting  largely  of  silt,  was 
deposited  in  comparatively  quiet  waters,  but  the  beds  of  sand 
forming  the  lower  section  were  deposited  by  more  rapidly  mov- 
ing currents.  The  dark  color  of  the  soil  is  due  to  the  large  con- 
tent of  organic  matter  resulting  from  the  growth  and  decay 
of  rank  vegetation  in  the  presence  of  moisture. 

Native  Vegetation. — The  native  vegetation  consists  largely  of 
grasses,  with  some  timber,  mainly  oak,  elm,  and  soft  maple.  The 
greater  part  of  the  merchantable  timber  has  been  removed. 

Present  Agricultural  Development  * — Practically  all  of  the 
Waukesha  silt  loam  can  be  cultivated,  and  the  greater  propor- 
tion of  it  is  now  in  farms  and  well  improved.  It  is  one  of  the 
most  highly  valued  soils  of  the  county,  and  with  the  soils  of 
the  Bates  series  comprises  the  best  corn  land.  The  yields  of 
corn  range  from  60  to  80  bushels  per  acre  during  favorable  years, 
and  the  ordinary  yields  are  larger  than  those  from  the  other 
types  in  the  county.  The  small  grains  do  well,  but  the  quality  is 
not  so  good  as  that  of  grains  grown  on  the  Knox  silt  loam.  Oats 
and  barley  each  yield  about  40  to  45  bushels  per  acre.  An  ex-' 
cessive  quantity  of  straw  is  apt  to  be  produced  and  these  grains, 
especially  .oats,  are  likely  to  lodge.  Clover  and  timothy  do  well 
and  pasturage  is  always  good. 

A rotation  frequently  followed  consists  of  corn  followed  by 
small  grain  for  1 or  2 years  and  then  hay  for  2 years.  Corn  is 
often  grown  on  the  same  field  for  2 or  3 years  in  succession,  and 
on  the  whole  not  enough  consideration  is  given  to  the  rotating 
of  crops.  Because  of  the  natural  fertility  of  this  soil  farmers 

♦For  chemical  composition  and  management  of  this  type  of  soil  see 
page  33. 


DARK  COLORED  UPLAND  SOILS. 


29 


have  abused  it.  Cropping  has  been  heavy  and  in  many  cases  no 
element  of  fertility  has  been  returned  to  the  soil. 

The  Waukesha  silt  loam  is  not  difficult  to  handle  under  proper 
moisture  conditions,  but  it  can  not  be  worked  under  so  wide  a 
range  of  moisture  conditions  as  the  Bates  silt  loam,  which  has 
better  drainage.  Where  the  soil  is  well  drained  alfalfa  can  be 
successfully  grown. 

Land  of  this  character  brings  from,  $80  to  $150  an  acre, 
depending  upon  location  and  improvement. 

The  following  table  gives  the  results  of  mechanical  analyses  of 
samples  of  the  soil  and  subsoil  of  the  Waukesha  silt  loam : 


MECHANICAL  ANALYSES  OF  WAUKESHA  SILT  LOAM 


Description 

Fine 

gravel 

Coarse 

sand 

Medium 

sand 

Fine 

sand 

Very  fine 
sand 

Silt 

Clay 

Per  cent 

Per  cent 

Per  cent 

Per  ce*t 

Per  cent 

Per  cent 

Per  cent 

Soil  

0.0 

0.3 

0.4 

1.6 

10.9 

73.4 

13.4 

Subsoil  

.0 

.1 

.2 

.6 

11.4 

72.3 

15.4 

BATES  SILT  LOAM. 

Description. — The  surface  soil  of  the  Bates  silt  loam  to  an 
average  depth  of  12  to  14  inches  consists  of  a heavy,  black  to 
dark-brown  silt  loam.  The  amount  of  organic  matter  in  the 
surface  soil  is  large,  and  the  material  has  the  smooth  feel  char- 
acteristic of  silt.  Litmus-paper  tests  indicate  that  the  soil  is  in 
an  acid  condition.  The  subsoil  consists  of  a heavy  silt  loam  of  a 
brown  or  chocolate-brown  color,  which  gradually  becomes  lighter 
in  color  with  depth.  At  24  to  30  inches  the  material  becomes  a 
yellowish-brown,  slightly  sticky,  heavy  silt  loam.  Below  this 
depth  it  frequently  becomes  lighter  in  texture  and  at  40  inches 
there  is  usually  an  appreciable  amount  of  fine  and  very  fine 
sand.  On  the  higher  slopes  and  tops  of  knolls  the  soil  is  lighter 
in  color  than  elsewhere,  and  in  such  locations  the  surface  material 
has  been  eroded,  leaving  the  subsoil  exposed.  On  some  of  the 
lower  knolls  underlain  by  sandstone  the  soil  is  thin  and  there  is 
more  or  less  coarser  material  mixed  with  it,  giving  it  a somewhat 
sandy  texture. 


30 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 


Extent  and  Distribution. — The  Bates  silt  loam  is  of  small 
extent,  the  largest  areas  occurring  directly  north  of  Mondovi, 
occupying  the  sloping  land  bordering  Big  Bear  Creek  Valley, 
along  the  North  Fork  of  Elk  Creek,  and  the  valleys  of  Big 
Waumandee  and  Kammuler  Creek.  Other  scattered  areas  of 
small  extent  occur  in  various  parts  of  the  survey. 

Topography  and  Drainage. — The  position  which  the  type  occu- 
pies is  intermediate  between  the  Waukesha  silt  loam,  of  the  ter- 
races and  the  Knox  silt  loam  of  the  highest  parts  of  the  country. 
It  occupies  gentle  slopes  and  even  rather  rolling  upland  areas, 
but  these  are  always  parallel  with  the  alluvial  valleys  and  imme- 
diately bordering  them.  The  type  grades  into  Waukesha  silt 
loam  on  the  one  hand  and  Knox  silt  loam  on  the  other,  so  that 
there  is  quite  a range  in  the  color  of  the  material.  On  account 
of  the  sloping  surface,  the  natural  drainage  is  excellent,  while 
the  slopes  are  seldom  steep  enough  to  cause  any  considerable 
damage  from  erosion. 

Origin. — The  silty  material  composing  this  type  of  soil  is  prob- 
ably of  residual  origin  from  a shaly  phase  of  the  Potsdam  forma- 
tion or  it  may  be  partly  loessial.  It  differs  from  the  Boone  silt 
loam  principally  in  its  higher  organic-matter  content. 

Native  Vegetation.- — The  type  as  a whole  is  generally  known  as 
“oak  openings,”  having  been  originally  timbered  with  scattered 
clumps  of  large  oak  trees,  while  the  intervening  spaces  were  in 
a semiprairie  condition,  supporting  a more  or  less  heavy  growth 
of  prairie  grass. 

Present  Agricultural  Development.* — The  Bates  silt  loam  is 
one  of  the  desirable  types  of  soil  in  the  county.  Because  of  its 
great  natural  fertility,  it  frequently  has  been  ill  used,  too  little 
attention  being  given  to  crop  rotation  and  fertilization.  All  the 
general  crops  grown  in  the  region  do  well  on  this  type,  and  the 
average  yields  of  some  of  the  crops  are  considerably  higher  than 
on  most  of  the  other  soils.  The  soil  is  especially  well  adapted  to 
corn,  of  which  the  ordinary  yield  is  50  to  60  bushels  an  acre. 
This  type  and  the  Waukesha  silt  loam  are  the  two  best  corn  soils 
in  the  county.  Barley  produces  30  to  35  bushels  and  oats  30  to  40 
bushels  per  acre.  Wheat  is  still  grown  to  some  extent  and  yields 
of  25  to  30  bushels  per  acre  are  not  at  all  uncommon.  The  qual- 
ity of  the  small  grains  is  not  so  good  as  of  those  grown  on  the 


*For  chemical  composition  and  management  see  page  33. 


DARK  COLORED  UPLAND  SOILS. 


Q1 

ol 

Knox  silt  loam.  Clover  and  timothy  produce  iy2  to  2 tons  per 
acre,  and  the  pasturage  is  generally  excellent.  The  rotation  of 
crops  most  generally  followed  consists  of  corn,  small  grains,  and 
hay.  Of  the  small  grains,  oats  is  most  commonly  grown,  though 
barley  may  also  be  grown  in  the  rotation  following  the  oats.  A 
few  small  fields  of  alfalfa  have  been  established  on  this  soil. 
Where  the  acid  condition  is  corrected  and  the  soil  inoculated  this 
crop  promises  very  well. 

Dairying  is  the  chief  branch  of  farming  followed,  and  hog 
raising  is  carried  on  quite  extensively  on  many  of  the  dairy 
farms.  The  buildings  and  other  improvements  on  this  soil  are  as 
a rule  better  than  the  average.  Silos  are  in  quite  general  use. 

Farms  located  on  land  of  this  type  have  a selling  price  rang- 
ing from  $75  to  $100  an  acre,  depending  upon  improvements  and 
nearness  to  markets. 

Below  are  given  the  results  of  mechanical  analyses  of  samples 
of  the  soil  and  subsoil  of  the  Bates  silt  loam : 


MECHANICAL  ANALYSES  OF  BATES  SILT  LOAM 


Description 

Fine 

gravel 

Coarse 

sand 

Medium 

sand 

Fine 

sand 

Very  fine 
sand 

Silt 

Clay 

Pier  cent 

Per  cent 

Per  cent 

Per  cent 

Per  cent 

Per  cent 

Per  cent 

Soil  

0.0 

0.4 

0.4 

1.4 

13.2 

68.5 

15.9 

Subsoil  

.0 

.2 

.2 

1.5 

16.6 

66.7 

14.9 

BATES  FINE  SANDY  LOAM. 

Description. — The  surface  soil  of  the  Bates  fine  sandy  loam 
to  an  average  depth  of  10  to  12  inches  consists  of  a dark-brown 
to  black  fine  sandy  loam,  which  contains  a large  amount  of 
organic  matter.  When  dry  the  materia]  has  a dark-grayish 
appearance.  Litmus-paper  tests  usually  indicate  an  acid  condi- 
tion. The  subsoil  consists  of  a choclate-brown  fine  sandy  loam  or 
loam  which  becomes  lighter  in  color  with  depth.  At  22  to  24 
inches  it  is  frequently  a heavy  silty  loam,  and  sometimes  is  quite 
clay-like  in  appearance.  At  38  or  40  inches  the  material  is 
usually  a yellow  fine  sandy  loam. 

The  soil  is  subject  to  some  variation  and  over  small  areas 
ranges  from  a fine  sandy  loam  to  a loam  in  texture,  although  the 
greater  proportion  of  the  material  is  a fine  sandy  loam. 


32 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 


Extent  and  Distribution. — The  Bates  fine  sandy  loam  is  one  of 
the  minor  types  of  the  county,  occupying  only  2.1  square  miles. 
Nearly  all  of  this  type  is  found  on  the  slopes  bordering  the  south 
side  of  the  Buffalo  River  Valley  east  of  Mondovi.  Here  it  occurs 
as  a narrow  strip  from  one-fourth  to  one-half  mile  wide,  parallel- 
ing the  valley  in  an  east  and  west  direction  for  nearly  4 miles. 

Topography  and  Drainage. — This  type  occupies  the  lower  por- 
tion of  a long,  gently  rolling,  residual  fine  sandy  loam  slope 
which  leads  down  to  the  valley  from  the  limestone  ridges  3 miles 
south.  The  surface  of  the  type  is  gently  undulating  and  nearly 
level  in  places,  but  usually  has  a gentle  slope  toward  the  river. 
In  a few  places  it  is  gently  rolling.  Because  of  the  texture  of  the 
soil  and  the  gentle  sloping  surface,  the  natural  drainage  is  good, 
and  there  is  no  serious  danger  from  erosion. 

Origin. — While  the  field  work  was  in  progress  some  doubt  was 
felt  as  to  whether  or  not  this  type  was  in  part  an  old  alluvial 
terrace  formation,  but  because  of  the  undulating  to  gently  roll- 
ing surface  and  the  fact  that  sandstone  was  found  outcropping 
at  its  lower  edge  along  the  river  bottom,  the  soil  was  mapped 
as  an  upland  type  and  placed  in  the  Bates  series. 

No  evidence  of  stratification  in  the  subsoil  was  found,  although 
the  soil  section  has  an  average  depth  to  the  underlying  sandstone 
of  15  to  20  feet. 

Native  Vegetation. — The  original  growth  of  oak  on  this  type 
was  more  evenly  distributed  than  on  the  Bates  silt  loam,  and  it 
appears  that  no  portion  of  the  type  was  in  the  condition  of 
prairie. 

Present  Agricultural  Development. — Practically  all  of  the 
type  is  now  under  cultivation,  and  it  is  considered  a valuable 
soil.  Dairying  and  hog  raising  is  the  leading  type  of  farming, 
and  this  is  carried  on  in  conjunction  with  general  farming.  Corn 
produces  50  to  55  bushels,  oats  35  to  40  bushels,  barley  about  25 
bushels,  and  clover  iy2  to  2 tons  per  acre.  For  a long  period 
wheat  was  the  most  important  crop  grown  on  this  soil  and  yields 
of  15  to  18  bushels  per  acre  were  obtained.  The  acreage  of  wheat 
at  present  is  very  small.  This  is  a very  good  corn  soil,  ranking 
with  the  Bates  and  Waukesha  silt  loams  in  this  respect.  It  is 
also  well  adapted  to  a number  of  truck  crops,  but  trucking  has 
not  been  developed  to  any  extent.  The  soil  is  easy  to  cultivate. 
About  the  same  methods  are  followed  as  on  the  silt  loam. 


DARK  COLORED  UPLAND  SOILS. 


33 


Land  of  this  type  sells  for  $65  to  $90  an  acre,  depending  upon 
such  factors  as  location  and  improvements. 

CHEMICAL  COMPOSITION  AND  MANAGEMENT  OF  DARK  COLORED 

UPLAND  SOILS 

These  dark  colored  soils  are  naturally  the  most  fertile  soils 
in  the  area.  They  are  generally  well  supplied  with  the  essential 
plant  food  elements  and  with  organic  matter  which  gives  them 
their  dark  color.  The  total  amount  of  phosphorus  in  the  surface 
8 inches  is  approximately  1,500  pounds  per  acre.  The  total 
potassium  is  35,000  pounds,  and  the  nitrogen  from  4,500  to  5,500 
pounds  per  acre  8 inches.  Many  fields*  on  these  soils  which  have 
been  cropped  for  some  time  will  in  all  probability  be  benefited  by 
the  use  of  a phosphorus  fertilizer  in  addition  to  the  use  of 
manure. 

These  soils  all  show  some  acidity,  although  it  varies  with  the 
location  and  past  treatment  of  particular  fields.  Where  clover 
and  alfalfa  do  not  do  well  the  soil  should  be  examined  for  acid- 
ity and  if  acid  an  application  of  1,500  to  2,000  pounds  of  ground 
limestone  per  acre  to  the  sour  fields  will  be  found  beneficial. 

Lying  at  lower  levels  than  the  upland  soils,  these  soils  often 
receive  the  run-off  water  from  higher  land,  and  level  or  low  spots 
especially  need  drainage  or  special  methods  for  taking  care  of 
storm  water.  In  some  cases  tile  drainage  would  be  beneficial,  in 
others  surface  ditches  rightly  placed  would  keep  the  land  dry. 

On  account  of  their  level  topography  and  large  content  of 
organic  matter,  these  soils  are  especially  adapted  to  corn,  hay, 
and  other  root  crops.  Grain  crops  often  give  large  yields,  but 
the  quality  is  often  not  as  good  as  on  the  lighter  colored  soils  and 
oats  and  barley  often  lodge  badly  on  these  soils.  This  character- 
istic varies  greatly  with  the  character  of  the  season.  In  case  of 
low  yields  on  well  drained  fields,  the  use  of  a phosphate  fertilizer 
would  hasten  the  maturity  of  crops. 


34 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

LIGHT  COLORED  FINE  SANDY  LOAM  SOILS. 

BOONE  FINE  SANDY  LOAM. 

Description. — The  surface  soil  of  the  Boone  fine  sandy  loam  to 
an  average  depth  of  8 to  10  inches  consists  of  a grayish-brown 
fine  sandy  loam,  which  in  some  places  contains  a considerable 
amount  of  medium  sand.  The  amount  of  organic  matter  present 
is  not  large,  but  a slightly  acid  condition  is  found  to  exist  over 
most  of  the  type.  The  subsoil  consists  of  a brown  to  yellowish- 
brown  fine  to  medium  sandy  loam,  which  usually  extends  to  a 
depth  of  over  3 feet. 

Both  soil  and  subsoil  of  this  type  are  subject  to  considerable 
variation,  though  none  of  the  variations  are  found  of  sufficient 
extent  or  importance  to  be  mapped  separately,  except  the  more 
rolling  tracts,  which  are  usually  shallow.  This  variation  has 
been  termed  the  rolling  phase  and  shown  separately  on  the  soil 
map.  In  smaller  sandy  areas  in  the  valleys  of  By  golly  and  Little 
Bear  Creeks  the  subsoil  is  a brown  sandy  loam,  becoming  lighter 
m color  with  depth  and  containing  a few  small  bits  of  sandstone. 
Bordering  Buffalo  River  in  T.  24,  R.  11,  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  county  the  soil  is  slightly  finer  and  heavier  than  usual,  vary- 
ing from  a fine  sandy  loam  to  a loam,  and  often  grading  into  a 
compact  sandy  clay  loam  layer  at  18  to  24  inches.  This  heavy 
material  is  again  underlain  by  a yellow  sand  at  24  to  40  inches. 
The  differences  in  texture  are  due  in  part  to  the  presence  of  a 
shaly  sandstone  layer  under  the  soil  in  places  and  also  to  the 
proximity  of  heavier  and  higher  lying  soils  from  which  finer  par- 
ticles are  often  washed.  Outcrops  of  sandstone  are  not  uncom- 
mon, though  they  are  not  extensive  and  seldom  interfere  to  any 
marked  extent  with  cultivation.  The  depth  to  the  underlying 
rock  is  variable,  and  while  it  averages  considerably  over  3 feet, 
there  are  places  on  the  tops  of  ridges  and  on  knolls  where  there 
may  be  as  little  as  2 or  3 inches  of  soil.  There  are  also  places 


LIGHT  COLORED  FINE  SANDY  LOAM  SOILS 


35 


over  gently  rolling  tracts  where  the  soil  has  a depth  of  only  2 or 
3 feet,  but  such  areas  are  not  extensive. 

Extent  and  Distribution. — The  Boone  fine  sandy  loam  is  one  of 
the  important  types  in  the  county,  though  there  are  several 
which  are  more  extensive.  The  largest  area  occurs  in  the  north- 
eastern part  of  the  survey  in  Naples  and  Mondovi  Townships, 
lying  mostly  south  of  the  Buffalo  River.  A number  of  smaller 
tracts  are  -found  in  the  vicinity  of  Gilmanton  along  the  slopes 
on  the  south  side  of  Elk  Creek  and  its  two  chief  branches.  Other 
small  tracts  are  scattered  throughout  the  northwestern  corner 
of  the  county,  and  to  a more  limited  extent  through  the  southern 
part. 

Topography  and  Drainage. — The  surface  of  the  Boone  fine 
sandy  loam,  including  the  rolling  phase,  varies  from  undulating 
to  rolling,  and  in  places  it  becomes  quite  steep,  though  there  are 
but  few  small  areas  where  the  surface  is  too  steep  to  prevent  the 
growing  of  the  ordinary  farm  crops.  Where  the  limestone  cap 
remains  with  sandstone  outcropping  below,  a rather  steep,  nar- 
row belt  of  fine  sandy  loam  following  the  contour  is  produced, 
as  at  the  base  of  the  river  bluffs  at  Cochrane  and  Fountain  City. 
Where  the  limestone  covering  is  thinner,  and  where  more  of  the 
sandstone  is  exposed,  as  in  Little  Bear  Creek  and  Spring  Creek 
Valleys  and  a few  other  places,  long  gently  rolling  or  undulating 
slopes  are  found,  being  rather  steep  or  rolling  only  near  the 
limestone  ridge.  In  the  largest  area  in  the  northeastern  part  of 
the  county,  where  the  limestone  capping  has  been  entirely  re- 
moved, the  topography  is  nearly  level  in  places.  The  surface 
rises  with  a gentle  gradient  up  to  long,  gently  rolling  slopes,  cul- 
minating in  low,  rolling,  oak-timbered  knolls,  which  slope  away 
again  to  the  next  valley.  The  surface  of  this  soil  becomes  rolling 
also  and  even  rough  in  places  along  the  southern  edge  of  the 
area  bordering  the  outliers  of  the  limestone  ridges  which  pro- 
ject into  this  type.  South  of  Gilmanton,  bordering  Elk  Creek 
Valley,  is  an  irregular  area  of  this  type  covering  3 or  4 square 
miles  where  the  topography  varies  from  gently  rolling  to  rough 
and  broken. 

Because  of  the  sandy  nature  of  this  type  and  its  absorptive 
capacity  it  withstands  erosion  fairly  well.  On  some  of  the  steeper 
slopes,  however,  and  over  long,  more  gentle  grades,  where  the 
run-off  from  an  extensive  area  converges,  there  is  some  danger 
from  erosion. 


36  SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 

On  account  of  the  sandy  character  of  the  soil  and  the  surface 
features,  the  natural  drainage  of  this  type  is  excellent.  Where 
the  soil  is  shallow  and  where  the  slopes  are  steep  the  type  fre- 
quently suffers  from  lack  of  sufficient  moisture,  though  as  a 
whole  it  retains  moisture  fairly  well. 

Origin. — The  original  Boone  fine  sandy  loam  is  largely  resid- 
ual, having  been  derived  from  the  weathering  of  the  Potsdam 
sandstone  and  from  a shaly  phase  of  this  formation.  On  some 
of  the  slopes  it  is  probable  that  some  of  the  sandy  material  has 
been  moved  short  distances  down  the  slope  by  washing.  Where 
there  is  silty  material  incorporated  with  the  soil  it  is  probable 
that  a part  of  this  has  been  washed  down  from  higher  lying  silt 
loam  types.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the  type  may  also  be  partly 
of  colluvial  origin,  though  this  phase  is  of  minor  importance. 
In  a few  places  sand  dunes  have  been  formed,  but  these  are  also 
of  small  extent. 

Native  Vegetation. — The  original  timber  growth  consisted 
partly  of  black  and  scrub  oak  covering  the  shallow  knolls  and  the 
lighter  portions  of  the  type.  On  the  heavier  portions  there  was 
some  birch  and  maple.  Sumac,  hazel  brush,  poplar,  and  wild 
cherry  form  the  second  growth  in  uncultivated  places. 

Present  Agricultural  Development  * — By  far  the  greater  pro- 
portion of  the  type  is  put  to  some  form  of  agricultural  use,  and 
most  of  it  is  cultivated.  The  wooded  portion  is  confined  chiefly 
to  the  steeper  slopes  and  shallow  knolls,  which  are  covered  mainly 
with  small  oak.  As  is  the  case  with  the  county  as  a whole,  most 
of  the  type  is  devoted  to  general  farming,  with  dairying  as  the 
most  important  branch.  In  connection  with  dairying  quite  a 
number  of  hogs  are  raised.  The  chief  crops  grown  and  the 
ordinary  yields  are  as  follows : Corn,  40  to  50  bushels ; oats,  30 
to  40  bushels ; barley,  35  to  40  bushels ; and  hay  from  1 to  2 tons 
per  acre.  Some  rye  is  also  grown  and  it  gives  fair  yields.  On 
some  of  the  level  portions  of  the  type  some  farmers  report  an 
increasing  difficulty  in  getting  a good  stand  of  clover.  Others 
on  the  gently  rolling  phase  report  no  trouble  at  all,  none  having 
been  lost  in  the  last  seven  or  eight  years.  Some  very  fine  stands 
of  clover  appear  on  some  of  the  lighter  portions  of  the  type, 
even  though  the  soil  showed  a slight  indication  of  acidity  in 
response  to  the  litmus-paper  test. 


♦For  chemical  composition  and  management  see  page  41. 


LIGHT  COLORED  FINE  SANDY  LOAM  SOILS 


37 


When  the  county  was  first  settled  wheat  was  grown  extensively 
on  this  soil,  but  very  little  is  now  produced.  It  is  considered  a 
fair  corn  soil,  and  the  yields  are  practically  the  same  as  on  the 
Boone  silt  loam.  Potatoes  can  be  grown  successfully,  though  the 
acreage  is  not  large. 

The  rotation  of  crops  most  commonly  practiced  consists  of 
corn,  followed  by  oats  or  barley,  with  which  clover  and  timothy 
are  seeded.  Hay  is  cut  for  one  or  two  years,  and  the  field  may 
be  pastured  for  a year  before  being  again  plowed  for  corn. 
Cultivation  of  this  soil  is  not  difficult,  and  a lighter  class  of 
implements  and  stock  can  be  used  than  on  the  silt  loam  type. 

The  selling  price  of  land  of  this  type  is  quite  variable,  depend- 
ing upon  location,  character  of  the  surface,  texture  of  the  soil, 
and  improvements.  In  the  area  near  Mondovi  the  gently  sloping 
and  nearly  level  portions  of  the  type  sell  for  $60  to  $100  an  acre. 
The  rougher  places  which  are  more  distantly  removed  from  towns 
are  held  at  $40  to  $50  an  acre.  In  Little  Bear  and  Spring  Creek 
Valleys  the  price  of  land  of  this  class  ranges  from  $25  to  $50  an 
acre. 

Boone  Fine  Sandy  Loam , Rolling  Phase. — The  rolling  phase  of 
the  Boone  fine  sandy  loam  is  separated  from  the  typical  soil  for 
two  reasons.  In  the  first  place  the  topography  is  more  rolling 
than  the  typical  soil  and  in  the  second  place  the  depth  of  the  soil 
material  to  the  underlying  rock  is  less  than  the  average  for  the 
type  as  a whole.  Because  of  these  two  conditions  the  agricultural 
value  of  the  phase  is  considerably  lower  than  that  of  the  typical 
soil.  In  fact  a considerable  proportion  of  the  rolling  phase  has 
been  left  wooded  because  of  its  lower  value. 

In  texture  the  rolling  phase  is  a somewhat  lighter  fine  sandy 
loam  than  the  main  portion  of  the  type,  and  the  depth  to  rock, 
which  is  mostly  the  Potsdam  sandstone,  ranges  from  1 foot  to  3 
feet.  A few  rock  outcrops  occur,  but  these  are  not  extensive. 
The  surface  of  the  phase  is  nowhere  found  to  be  so  steep  as  the 
steep  phase  of  the  Knox  silt  loam,  but  may  be  described  as  con- 
sisting of  rather  low  ridges  with  gentle  slopes  and  as  regions 
where  the  topography  is  gently  rolling  to  rolling.  Some  of  the 
narrow  areas  of  this  type  found  bordering  Knox  silt  loam  or 
Rough  stony  land  have  been  included  with  the  rolling  phase. 

The  rolling  phase  has  the  same  origin  as  the  typical  soil  and 
the  original  vegetation  is  the  same.  Where  this  class  of  land  has 
been  cleared  the  yields  are  lower  than  usual  for  the  type,  the 


38 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 


soil  is  more  subject  to  drought,  and  as  a whole  is  less  desirable 
for  farming.  That  which  is  now  in  timber  should  be  allowed  to 
remain  so,  and  where  cultivated  the  most  careful  methods  of 
soil  management  should  be  practiced  in  order  that  the  produc- 
tivity may  be  increased. 

PLAINFIELD  FINE  SANDY  LOAM. 

Description. — The  surface  soil  of  the  Plainfield  fine  sandy 
loam  to  an  average  depth  of  about  14  inches  consists  of  a reddish- 
brown  heavy  fine  sandy  loam.  At  about  16  to  20  inches  the  color 
becomes  a lighter  reddish-brown  fine  sandy  loam,  and  this  grades 
into  stratified  yellow  fine  sand  at  from  24  to  36  inches.  Gravel 
occurs  in  places  in  the  subsoil  of  this  type  south  of  Mondovi. 
While  this  is  about  the  normal  for  the  type,  there  are  a number 
of  variations,  and  the  texture  may  range  from  a heavy  fine 
sandy  loam  to  a medium,  and  in  a few  places  a rather  coarse 
loamy  sand.  Some  variations  in  color  also  occur,  these  ranging 
from  dark  brown  to  nearly  black  in  places.  None  of  the  varia- 
tions, however,  were  of  sufficient  extent  to  be  indicated  on  the 
soil  map. 

Extent  and  Distribution. — The  largest  and  most  important 
area  of  this  type  is  a long  terrace  lying  between  the  bluffs  and 
the  Mississippi  River  in  the  vicinity  of  Cochrane.  This  belt 
varies  in  width  from  one-half  to  a mile,  parallels  the  river  for  a 
distance  of  6 or  7 miles,  and  has  an  elevation  above  the  flood 
plain  of  5 to  20  feet.  The  texture  and  organic  matter  content  of 
this  area  vary  somewhat,  it  being  more  sandy  and  of  a lighter 
color  on  the  side  bordering  the  river  than  next  to  the  bluffs.  The 
soil  occurs  also  as  a narrow  belt  occupying  a terrace  bordering 
the  Buffalo  River  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  county.  A few 
smaller  tracts  are  found  in  various  stream  valleys  throughout  the 
county. 

Topography  and  Drainage. — The  Plainfield  fine  sandy  loam  is 
a terrace  soil  and  the  surface  is  usually  level  or  slopes  gently 
toward  the  streams  along  which  it  occurs.  There  are  a few 
places,  however,  where  the  surface  is  undulating  or  even  gently 
rolling,  though  such  tracts  are  of  small  extent.  On  the  whole 
the  type  has  good  drainage,  but  there  are  a few  places  where  the 
surface  is  lower  than  usual  and  in  these  there  is  an  excess  of 
moisture  during  part  of  the  year.  On  the  other  hand,  some  of  the 


LIGHT  COLORED  FINE  SANDY  LOAM  SOILS  39 

lighter  textured  higher  places  are  apt  to  suffer  at  times  from 
drought. 

Origin. — This  is  largely  an  alluvial  soil,  the  materials  having 
been  deposited  by  the  streams  when  flowing  at  a much  higher 
level  than  at  present.  It  is  noncalcareous  and  the  type  is  now 
slightly  acid. 

Native  Vegetation. — A forest,  largely  oak,  with  some  elm  and 
soft  maple  in  the  lower  places,  originally  grew  on  this  soil.  The 
growth  was  rather  open,  with  grass  among  the  trees.  Some  por- 
tions of  the  type  were  originally  in  a semiprairie  condition. 

Present  Agricultural  Development .* — By  far  the  greater  pro- 
portion of  the  Plainfield  fine  sandy  loam  is  under  cultivation.  It 
is  considered  a good  farming  soil.  The  chief  crop  grown  is  corn, 
which  yields  45  to  50  bushels  an  acre.  Oats  yield  35  to  40 
bushels  an  acre  and  barley  about  30  bushels.  A small  acreage  of 
wheat  is  grown  and  yields  of  20  to  25  bushels  an  acre  are 
obtained.  The  yields  given  above  are  for  the  average  develop- 
ment of  the  type.  On  the  more  sandy  tracts  they  are  somewhat 
lower,  and  on  the  areas  of  heavier  texture  they  are  higher  than 
indicated.  This  is  especially  true  of  corn.  Timothy  and  clover 
are  grown  and  alfalfa  has  been  tried,  but  not  extensively.  Pota- 
toes do  well  on  this  class  of  soil,  and  it  would  seem  that  this  crop 
could  well  be  grown  more  extensively. 

Land  of  this  type  sells  for  $35  to  $40  an  acre,  depending  upon 
location,  improvements,  etc. 

LINTONIA  FINE  SANDY  LOAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Lintonia  fine  sandy  loam  consists  of  10 
inches  of  light-brown  or  grayish-brown  fine  sandy  loam  which 
contains  only  a comparatively  small  amount  of  organic  matter 
and  which  is  acid  in  some  places.  The  subsoil  is  a yellowish- 
brown,  compact  fine  sandy  loam  to  a depth  of  24  to  30  inches, 
where  the  texture  and  color  usually  become  lighter.  In  a few 
instances  a layer  of  compact  clay  loam  was  found  at  24  inches. 
This  lighter  material,  which  would  be  classed  as  a loamy  fine 
sand  in  most  instances,  extends  to  36  or  40  inches  or  even  deeper, 
where  stratified  fine  sand  is  usually  found.  The  terraces  upon 
which  this  soil  is  found  are  often  25  to  30  feet  high,  and  in  such 
places  this  stratified  material  extends  at  least  to  this  depth. 


♦For  chemical  composition  and  management  see  page  41. 


40 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 


The  soil  is  somewhat  variable  in  texture  and  in  some  places, 
especially  on  the  higher  elevations,  the  surface  material  is  a 
loamy  fine  sand.  In  its  texture  the  type  is  quite  similar  to  the 
Boone  fine  sandy  loam,  and  it  is  subject  to  about  the  same  varia- 
tions. 

The  Lintonia  fine  sandy  loam  is  of  limited  extent  and  occupies 
only  6.1  square  miles.  The  largest  areas  are  those  bordering  the 
Buffalo  River  south  of  Mondovi  and  along  the  south  side  of  Far- 
rington Creek  west  of  this  place.  There  is  also  some  of  the  type 
in  Kammuler  Valley  north  of  Fountain  City.  Small  tracts  occur 
in  various  other  places  in  the  county. 

The  surface  of  this  type  is  level  or  gently  sloping  toward  the 
stream  channel  along  which  it  occurs.  The  terrace  which  the 
type  occupies  has  the  same  position  and  drainage  conditions  as 
the  terraces  of  Lintonia  silt  loam,  and  this  soil  is  subject  to  the 
same  danger  from  erosion.  The  material  composing  the  soil  is 
also  of  the  same  origin,  having  been  deposited  when  the  waters 
were  flowing  at  a much  higher  level  than  at  present. 

The  original  timber  was  chiefly  scattered  oak,  but  practically 
all  of  this  has  been  removed,  except  where  erosion  has  rendered 
the  land  unfit  for  cultivated  crops. 

The  greater  proportion  of  this  type  is  under  cultivation.  It 
appears  that  the  crop  returns  are  somewhat  better  from  the 
small  areas  of  this  soil  in  the  small  valleys  than  from  the  larger 
tracts  found  in  the  valley  of  the  Buffalo  River.  Practically  all 
of  the  crops  common  to  the  region  are  grown  on  this  soil.  Corn 
yields  30  to  50  bushels ; oats,  25  to  40  bushels ; barley,  25  to  30 
bushels ; and  clover,  1 ton  to  iy2  tons  an  acre.  While  the  soil 
was  frequently  found  to  be  in  an  acid  condition  by  the  litmus- 
paper  test,  no  difficulty  was  reported  by  the  farmers  in  getting 
a stand  of  clover,  except  during  dry  years.  Rye  is  grown,  but 
not  so  extensively  as  oats  or  barley.  Fairly  good  yields  are 
obtained.  During  ordinary  seasons  good  crops  of  corn  and  fair 
crops  of  hay  are  always  had.  When  the  rainfall  is  scanty,  how- 
ever, the  soil  suffers  from  the  lack  of  moisture  and  crop  yields  are 
reduced  to  a greater  extent  than  on  soils  of  heavier  texture. 

The  rotation  most  commonly  followed  consists  of  corn,  small 
grain,  and  hay.  Potatoes  might  be  added  to  this  list.  The  type 
is  also  well  suited  to  small  fruits,  strawberries,  and  a number 
of  truck  crops. 


LIGHT  COLORED  FINE  SANDY  LOAM  SOILS 


41 


CHEMICAL  COMPOSITION  AND  MANAGEMENT  OF  LIGHT  COLORED  FINE 
SANDY  LOAM  SOILS. 

The  chemical  analysis  of  the  soils  of  this  group  shows  them  to 
be  intermediate  in  chemical  composition  as  well  as  in  texture  and 
value  between  the  light  colored  heavy  upland  soils  and  the  light 
sandy  soil  group.  The  total  amount  of  phosphorus  in  the  sur- 
face 8 inches  is  about  800  pounds  per  acre,  of  potassium  about 
20,000  pounds,  and  of  nitrogen  from  1200  to  1600  pounds. 

Varying  degrees  of  acidity  are  found  on  these  soils  and  where 
best  results  are  not  obtained  with  clover  and  alfalfa,  it  will  be 
advisable  to  apply  1500  to  2000  pounds  of  ground  limestone  per 
acre. 

In  improving  these  soils  it  is  necessary  first  to  see  that  the 
supply  of  organic  matter  is  increased.  This  may  be  accomplished 
by  growing  green  manuring  crops  of  which  the  legumes  are 
best — such  as  clover,  the  second  crop  of  which  should  be  plowed 
under  before  ripening.  The  supply  of  stable  manure  is  often 
too  limited  and  mineral  fertilizers  in  addition  to  green  manuring 
crops  will  be  found  to  increase  crops  in  such  cases.  Phosphorus 
in  the  form  of  acid  phosphate  applied  at  the  rate  of  300  pounds 
per  acre  once  in  3 or  4 years  will  supply  the  plant  food  needed. 
By  applying  phosphorus  and  lime  any  trouble  with  clover  or 
alfalfa  should  be  overcome  and  when  once  these  crops  are  suc- 
cessfully growing  the  greatest  difficulty  in  building  up  soil  has 
been  overcome. 

These  soils  are  adapted  to  a variety  of  crops.  Corn  and  small 
grains  do  very  well  but  dry  weather  often  injures  crops  such  as 
grass  and  clover  on  these  soils  more  than  on  the  deeper  and 
heavier  soils.  They  are  also  adapted  to  potatoes  and  other  truck 
and  garden  crops.  A rotation  which  gives  good  results  con- 
sists of  small  grain,  followed  by  clover — the  first  crop  for  hay  and 
the  second  plowed  under.  Next  year  corn  or  potatoes  are  grown. 
When  the  organic  matter  content  has  been  sufficiently  increased 
or  when  there  is  plenty  of  manure,  the  second  clover  crop  can 
be  cut  for  hay  or  ripened  for  seed. 


42 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER  V. 

GROUP  OF  LIGHT  COLORED  FINE  SANDS  AND  SANDS. 

LJNTONIA  FINE  SAND. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Lintonia  fine  sand  consists  of  a light- 
gray  or  yellowish  loose  fine  sand  extending  to  a depth  of  about 
8 inches.  This  is  underlain  by  a yellow  loose  fine  sand  which  ex- 
tends to  a depth  below  the  reach  of  the  soil  auger.  In  texture, 
structure,  and  color  this  type  is  quite  similar  to  the  Boone  fine 
sand,  but  differs  from  that  type  in  origin  and  topography.  Like 
the  Boone  fine  sand,  it  contains  only  a very  small  amount  of 
organic  matter  and  is  in  an  acid  condition. 

The  Lintonia  fine  sand  is  of  very  small  extent  and  minor  im- 
portance in  the  present  survey.  It  covers  only  1 square  mile, 
the  largest  area  occurring  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  county 
along  the  south  side  of  the  Buffalo  River.  It  occupies  a ter- 
race position  between  the  present  flood  plain  and  areas  of  Boone 
fine  sand. 

The  surface  of  this  type  is  nearly  level  to  gently  undulating, 
with  a gradual  slope  toward  the  Buffalo  River.  On  account  of 
the  loose  structure  the  natural  drainage  is  excessive  and  the  soil 
is  droughty.  While  the  type  occupies  a position  above  the  pres- 
ent flood  plain,  the  elevation  is  never  so  great  as  that  of  the  other 
types  of  this  series,  which  also  occur  as  terrace  soils. 

As  indicated  above,  the  type  occupies  a low  terrace  and  the 
material  composing  it  is  of  alluvial  origin.  Possibly  a small 
amount  of  material  has  also  been  washed  down  from  the  higher 
land  adjoining,  but  the  proportion  of  the  type  that  is  of  colluvial 
origin  is  small. 

The  original  timber  was  chiefly  oak,  but  the  growth  was  rather 
scattering. 

At  present  nearly  all  of  the  type  is  under  cultivation,  and 
most  of  the  crops  common  to  the  region  are  grown.  Yields  are 


GROUP  OF  LIGHT  SANDS  AND  FINE  SANDS 


43 


low,  however,  and  the  soil  can  only  be  worked  profitably  under 
the  best  methods  of  soil  management.* 

BOONE  FINE  SAND 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Boone  fine  sand  consists  of  a brown  to 
yellowish-brown  or  grayish-brown  fine  to  medium  sand  extend- 
ing to  an  average  depth  of  about  8 inches.  This  is  underlain  by 
a fine  sand  of  a lighter  yellow  color  than  the  surface,  extending 
to  a depth  considerably  below  3 feet.  The  amount  of  organic 
matter  present  is  very  low.  There  is  some  variation  in  the  tex- 
ture of  both  soil  and  subsoil  and  portions  of  the  type  might  be 
classed  as  medium  sand,  but  as  the  type  is  inextensive  and  as 
the  fine  sand  seemed  to  predominate  it  was  considered  advisable 
to  include  all  of  the  material  in  one  type.  In  section  19  and 
vicinity  in  Manville  Township  the  soil  is  slightly  heavier  than 
typical.  A portion  of  it  is  also  somewhat  loamy,  and  as  a result 
more  productive  than  the  typical  soil. 

The  largest  area  of  this  soil,  covering  about  Sy2  or  4 square 
miles,  occurs  in  Spring  Creek  Valley,  in  T.  24,  R.  13.  Most  of 
the  medium  sand  was  found  in  this  region.  South  of  Mondovi 
and  along  the  south  side  of  the  Buffalo  River  wind-blown  areas 
occur.  A few  other  patches  of  small  extent  are  found  associated 
with  the  Boone  fine  sandy  loam  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
county. 

The  surface  of  this  type  varies  from  very  gently  undulating 
to  gently  rolling.  There  are  a few  low  ridges  and  some  low  sand 
dunes,  and  where  the  type  borders  Rough  stony  land  or  other 
types  occupying  the  steep  slopes,  the  surface  near  the  boundary 
frequently  has  considerable  slope.  On  account  of  the  surface 
features  and  the  loose,  open  character  of  both  soil  and  subsoil, 
the  natural  drainage  is  excessive  and  the  type  is  droughty. 
None  of  the  slopes  is  sufficiently  steep  to  make  the  prevention  of 
erosion  an  important  factor  in  the  management  of  this  soil. 

In  origin  the  Boone  fine  sand  is  largely  residual,  having  been 
derived  from  the  weathering  of  Potsdam  sandstone.  There  is 
but  little  organic  matter  present  and  such  a small  amount  of 
silt  and  clay  that  the  loose  surface  material  is  readily  blown  by 
the  wind,  and  in  a number  of  places  low  sand  dunes  have  been 


*For  chemical  composition  and  management  see  page  48. 


44 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 


formed.  The  material  composing  the  type  is  in  an  acid  condi- 
tion, as  indicated  by  the  litmus-paper  test. 

The  original  timber  growth  on  this  type  consisted  chiefly  of 
scattered  scrubby  oak.  Coarse  grasses  and  sand  burs  are  also 
found  growing  on  the  type,  though  there  are  a number  of  places 
where  the  surface  is  bare  of  vegetation  and  the  soil  is  now  drift- 
ing. 

On  account  of  its  loose,  open  character  and  the  resulting 
droughty  condition,  its  low  content  of  organic  matter,  and  the 
fact  that  it  is  subject  to  drifting  in  places,  this  soil  has  a low  agri- 
cultural value.  While  most  of  it  is  cleared,  there  is  a consider- 
able proportion  which  is  not  farmed  because  of  the  small  yields. 
Corn  produces  20  bushels  per  acre  where  the  rainfall  is  well  dis- 
tributed, but  the  crop  if  often  a failure.  Rye  produces  8 to  12 
bushels,  and  buckwheat  10  to  12  bushels  an  acre.  Crass  and 
clover  are  not  successfully  grown,  and  the  coarse,  wild  grasses 
supply  little  pasturage.  Potatoes  are  not  grown  extensively,  and 
the  yields  are  small.  A portion  of  the  type  in  section  19,  Man- 
ville  Township,  is  better  than  the  average.  Here  corn  frequently 
produces  30  bushels  and  buckwheat  as  much  as  30  bushels  an 
acre  during  favorable  years.* 

The  selling  price  of  most  of  the  land  of  this  type  ranges  from 
$10  to  $15  an  acre.  The  heavy  phase,  indicated  above,  has  a 
somewhat  higher  value. 

WAUKESHA  GRAVELLY  SANDY  LOAM. 

The  type  mapped  as  Waukesha  gravelly  sandy  loam  is  of  very 
small  extent  and  of  minor  importance  in  the  present  survey.  It 
occurs  in  two  separate  tracts  which  have  a somewhat  different 
texture.  That  just  northwest  of  Cochrane  has  a surface  soil 
which  consists  of  12  to  16  inches  of  black  or  dark-brown  loam. 
This  contains  a considerable  quantity  of  coarse,  rounded  sand 
particles,  and  in  a number  of  places  the  surface  soil  is  a sandy 
loam.  There  is  usually  sufficient  clay  present  to  make  the  soil 
sticky  when  wet.  The  subsoil  consists  of  a yellowish  sandy  loam 
to  about  24  to  30  inches,  where  rounded,  rather  fine  gravel  is  en- 
countered. This  bed  of  stratified  gravel  and  coarse  sand  is  com- 
pact and  difficult  to  penetrate  with  the  soil  auger. 

*For  chemical  composition  and  management  see  page  48. 


GROUP  OF  LIGHT  SANDS  AND  FINE  SANDS 


45 


The  second  area  is  found  on  the  terrace  near  Nelson.  The 
texture  of  the  soil  here  is  somewhat  more  silty  than  that  of  the 
first  mentioned  area,  though  here  also  the  soil  varies  to  a coarse 
sandy  loam,  and  in  a few  places  a coarse  loamy  sand  appears  at 
the  surface.  This  area  is  also  underlain  by  stratified  gravel. 
In  a few  localities  this  fine  'gravel  outcrops,  and  there  is  consider- 
able gravel  scattered  over  the  surface  in  such  places.  The  sur- 
face soil  is  in  an  acid  condition,  as  indicated  by  the  litmus-paper 
test. 

The  surface  of  the  type  is  level  or  very  gently  sloping.  On 
account  of  the  underlying  sand  and  gravel  beds  the  drainage  is 
thorough,  sometimes  excessive,  and,  except  where  the  covering 
over  the  gravel  is  deeper  than  usual,  the  type  is  inclined  to  be 
droughty  during  dry  periods. 

The  type  is  a terrace  soil  situated  well  above  the  present  flood 
plain.  Portions  of  it  appear  to  lie  in  an  abandoned  stream  chan- 
nel, later  filled  by  sediment  and  now  having  the  same  elevation 
as  the  remainder  of  the  terrace.  In  such  places  the  gravel  is 
as  much  as  4 feet  below  the  surface. 

The  Waukesha  gravelly  sandy  loam  is  a prairie  soil,  the  native 
growth  consisting  chiefly  of  grasses. 

At  present  the  greater  part  of  it  is  under  cultivation,  and  dur- 
ing favorable  years  as  much  as  40  to  50  bushels  of  corn  are  grown 
per  acre.  Oats  may  yield  30  to  40  bushels  and  hay  1 ton  to  l1^ 
tons  per  acre.  During  dry  seasons,  however,  the  yields  are  con- 
siderably lower  and  crops  frequently  suffer  greatly  from  lack 
of  moisture. 


PLAINFIELD  FINE  SAND 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Plainfield  fine  sand  to  an  average  depth 
of  about  10  inches  consists  of  a dark-gray  to  dark-brown  fine 
sand  having  a loose  structure  and  a comparatively  low  content 
of  organic  matter.  Litmus-paper  tests  indicate  that  the  soil  is 
acid.  The  subsoil  consists  of  a fine  to  medium  sand,  which  be- 
comes lighter  in  color  and  grades  into  stratified  sand  in  the  lower 
subsoil.  There  is  some  variation  in  the  texture  and  some  of  the 
material  included  with  this  type  could  be  classed  as  a medium 
sand  if  the  areas  were  of  sufficient  extent. 

The  type  is  of  small  extent  and  of  minor  importance.  The 
largest  areas  are  found  in  Spring  Creek  and  Little  Bear  Valleys. 


46 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 


The  soil  in  Spring  Creek  Valley  is  somewhat  coarser  in  texture 
than  typical.  In  the  vicinity  of  Waumandee  there  is  also  a 
small  amount  of  this  soil,  and  here  the  type  is  better  than  the 
average,  having  a finer  texture  and  containing  enough  silt  and 
clay  to  make  it  slightly  loamy. 

Generally  the  surface  of  the  type*  is  level  or  slopes  gently 
toward  the  streams.  In  a few  places  there  is  a billowy  topog- 
raphy, and  small  undulations  are  common.  These  are  doubt- 
less due  to  the  action  of  the  wind.  On  account  of  the  loose,  open 
structure  of  the  material,  the  natural  drainage  is  excessive. 
There  are  some  portions  of  the  type  where  erosion  has  cut  rather 
deep  channels,  especially  on  the  gently  sloping  terraces  in  Little 
Bear  Valley. 

Areas  of  this  type  occur  within  valleys  of  streams  which  head 
within  the  driftless  region,  and  there  is  no  glacial  material,  even 
in  the  stratified  subsoil.  The  sand  was  doubtless  derived  from 
Potsdam  sandstone  and  later  carried  down  the  slopes  by  the  ac- 
tion of  water  and  deposited  by  stream  action  when  the  volume 
of  water  was  much  greater  than  it  is  at  present,  and  when  the 
streams  were  running  at  a much  higher  level. 

The  original  growth  on  the  Plainfield  fine  sand  consisted 
chiefly  of  a few  scattering  scrub  oak  and  some  prairie  grass. 

A relatively  large  proportion  of  this  soil  is  under  cultivation, 
but  it  is  doubtful  if  the  average  crop  is  profitable  under  present 
conditions  of  farming.  Corn  is  grown  to  some  extent,  but  the 
yields  are  low.  Probably  the  average  is  not  over  15  bushels  per 
acre.  During  dry  years  the  crops  usually  fail.  Rye,  which  is 
grown  more  extensively  than  other  small  grains,  usually  yields 
about  8 to  12  bushels  per  acre.  Buckwheat  yields  10  to  12  bush- 
els per  acre.  Clover  and  the  grasses  do  not  thrive  and  the  pas- 
turage is  of  little  value  except  early  in  the  season.  Potatoes  are 
of  fairly  good  quality,  but  yields  are  small.  This  type  is  low  in 
organic  matter,  and  in  order  that  farming  operations  may  be 
profitable  the  most  careful  methods  of  soil  and  farm  management 
are  necessary.* 

Land  of  this  type  sells  for  $10  to  $20  an  acre.  Farm  buildings 
are  usually  inferior  and  fences  and  other  improvements  in  poor 
condition. 


♦For  chemical  composition  and  management  of  this  soil  see  page  48. 


GROUP  OF  LIGHT  SANDS  AND  FINE  SANDS 


47 


PLAINFIELD  SAND. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Plainfield  sand  to  an  average  depth  of 
about  12  to  14  inches  consists  of  a fairly  loose,  brown  to  dark- 
brown  loamy  sand  of  medium  texture.  There  is  a considerable 
amount  of  fine  sand  mixed  with  the  medium  sand  in  places,  and 
in  such  places  the  soil  might  be  classed  as  a fine  sand  if  of  suf- 
ficient extent.  Litmus-paper  tests  indicate  that  the  soil  is  acid. 
The  subsoil  consists  of  a lighter  brown  medium  sand  which  gradu- 
ally becomes  a yellow  sand  at  from  28  to  36  inches.  The  deep 
subsoil  consists  of  stratified  sand  in  which  varying  amounts  of 
gravel  may  be  found.  As  a rule  the  soil  next  to  the  bluffs  is 
darker  and  slightly  heavier  than  that  close  to  the  river. 

The  largest  area  of  this  type  mapped  in  the  present  survey  oc- 
curs as  a narrow  terrace  along  the  Chippewa  River  Valley  in 
the  northwestern  part  of  the  county.  This  terrace  ranges  in 
width  from  one-eighth  to  one-half  mile,  and  has  a length  of  over 
10  miles  and  an  elevation  above  the  flood  plain  of  the  river  of  20 
to  50  feet  or  more.  The  rise  from  the  flood  plain  is  quite  abrupt 
in  most  places.  At  the  mouth  of  Big  Waumandee  Creek  there  is 
a terrace  of  the  same  soil  about  4 miles  long  and  in  its  widest 
place  about  three-fourths  of  a mile  across.  None  of  this  type  is 
found  outside  of  the  Mississippi  and  Chippewa  Valleys. 

The  terrace  occupied  by  this  soil  has  the  same  position  as  that 
occupied  by  the  La  Crosse  fine  sandy  loam,  and  the  surface  is 
usually  level  or  gently  sloping  toward  the  streams.  In  places 
there  is  an  undulating  or  billowy  topography,  where  the  wind 
apparently  has  altered  the  original  surface  features  to  a slight 
extent.  On  account  of  the  loose,  open  structure  of  the  material 
the  type  is  excessively  drained  and  subject  to  drought. 

Being  of  a terrace  formation,  the  type  is  alluvial  in  origin,  the 
material  having  been  deposited  by  the  Mississippi  River  during 
the  glacial  period,  when  the  volume  of  water  carried  by  that 
stream  was  much  greater  than  at  the  present  time.  A small 
quantity  of  gravel  is  mixed  with  the  sand  in  the  lower  sections, 
and  this  gravel  is  doubtless  of  glacial  origin,  as  is  also  a part  of 
the  sandy  material. 

The  greater  proportion  of  this  type  was  originally  in  the  con- 
dition of  a prairie,  with  only  a few  scattered  scrubby  oaks. 
Prairie  grass  was  the  most  common  growth,  though  this  was  not 
heavy. 


48 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 


More  than  half  the  area  of  the  Plainfield  sand  is  under  culti- 
vation, although  as  a whole  it  must  be  considered  of  rather  low 
agricultural  value.  During  the  most  favorable  years,  when  the 
rainfall  is  well  distributed,  fair  crops  are  obtained,  but  usually, 
owing  to  the  lack  of  moisture  and  of  plant  food,  the  ordinary 
yields  are  not  satisfactory.  That  part  of  the  type  immediately 
along  the  bluffs  has  probably  been  influenced  to  some  extent  by 
the  wash  from  the  heavier  upland  soils,  and  for  a short  distance 
from  the  bluffs  yields  are  usually  better  than  along  the  outer 
margin  of  the  type.  Some  areas  are  uncultivated  practically  all 
of  the  time,  because  of  their  extremely  sandy  nature  and  con- 
sequent low  productiveness.  On  some  fields  a crop  is  grown 
every  second  year  and  the  ground  fallowed  in  alternate  years. 

On  this  type  rye  is  an  important  crop  and  yields  of  20  to  25 
bushels  per  acre  are  common  during  the  most  favorable  years. 
Corn  yields  25  to  40  bushels  per  acre  under  the  most  favorable 
conditions,  but  the  ordinary  yields  are  far  below  these  figures. 
Buckwheat  is  grown  to  some  extent.  Clover  can  be  grown  suc- 
cessfully only  on  the  lower,  darker  portions  of  the  type,  and 
even  here  the  yields  are  not  large.  Potatoes  do  fairly  well,  but 
only  a few  are  grown  for  market. 

The  selling  price  of  land  of  this  type  ranges  from  $10  to  $40 
an  acre,  depending  upon  location,  improvements,  etc. 

CHEMICAL  COMPOSITION  AND  MANAGEMENT  OF  SANDS  AND  FINE 

SANDS. 

On  chemical  composition  these  sandy  soils  show  much  less  of 
the  important  plant  food  elements  than  do  the  upland  silt  loam 
soils  of  this  county.  The  total  phosphorus  in  the  surface  8 inches 
averages  700  to  800  pounds  per  acre,  while  the  amount  of  po- 
tassium is  about  16,000  pounds  in  an  acre  inches.  The  organic 
matter  in  these  soils  is  about  half  that  in  the  Knox  silt  loam 
and  less  than  one  third  of  that  in  the  dark  prairie  soils  of  the 
state. 

Since  Potsdam  sandstone  is  the  chief  source  of  essentially  all 
of  these  soils,  they  are  low  in  lime  carbonate,  except  in  a few 
places  where  the  sand  occurs  at  a lower  level  than  the  beds  of 
limestone,  and  thus  receives  a small  amount  of  lime  carbonate  in 
the  water  from  the  higher  slopes.  The  surface  soil  of  all  these 
types  is  acid,  and  will  require  lime.  While  these  soils  are  defi- 


GROUP  OF  LIGHT  SANDS  AND  FINE  SANDS 


49 


cient  in  all  of  the  important  elements,  they  have  certain  advan- 
tages for  special  crops,  and  it  is  possible  to  profitably  supplement 
their  natural  supply  of  plant  food  material  by  the  use  of  fertil- 
izers. All  systems  of  farming  on  such  land  should  be  planned  in 
such  a way  as  either  to  conserve  its  natural  fertility,  or  supply 
it  by  the  use  of  commercial  fertilizers. 

The  most  important  differences  between  these  sandy  types  of 
soils  and  heavier  classes,  such  as  silt  loams  and  clay  loams,  how- 
ever, are  not  of  a chemical  nature,  but  of  a physical  nature,  hav- 
ing to  do  with  their  water  holding  capacity,  drainage,  tillage, 
etc.  Suggestions  for  the  improvement  of  these  types  are  based 
upon  field  experiments,  chemical  and  mechanical  analyses,  and 
upon  studies  and  observations  covering  a variety  of  sandy  soils. 

In  the  management  of  these  sandy  soils  it  should  be  kept  in 
mind  that  they  are  naturally  low  in  organic  matter  and  in  the 
mineral  elements  required,  the  water  holding  capacity  is  poor 
and  the  soil  is  acid.  As  all  of  the  types  in  this  group  are  in  an 
acid  condition  they  would  be  greatly  benefited  by  the  application 
of  lime. 

When  the  amount  of  organic  matter  or  humus  forming  mate- 
rial in  the  soil  is  increased,  the  water  holding  capacity  is  also 
increased.  The  humus  forming  material  can  best  be  increased 
by  applying  stable  manure  and  by  plowing  under  legumes  as 
green  manure.  Of  the  legumes  red  and  mammoth  clover  are 
perhaps  better  adapted  to  sandy  soils  than  any  of  the  others, 
but  neither  of  these  nor  alfalfa  will  make  the  most  satisfactory 
growth  until  the  acid  condition  is  corrected.  The  mineral  ele- 
ments required  may  be  supplied  by  the  use  of  commercial  fertil- 
izers. 

When,  a soil  can  be  made  to  produce  a fair  crop  of  clover,  with- 
out an  excessive  expenditure,  that  soil  can  be  successfully  and 
profitably  improved.  It  is  therefore  important  that  the  first 
efforts  in  building  up  a soil  should  be  directed  toward  the  estab- 
lishing of  conditions  which  will  be  favorable  for  the  growth  of 
clover. 

From  experiments  conducted  it  seems  advisable  to  sow  clover 
without  a nurse  crop,  where  the  fertility  of  the  soil  is  very  low, 
since  it  will  then  have  all  of  the  moisture  in  the  sand  for  its  own 
growth.  There  is  also  some  danger  of  the  young  plants  being 
damaged  by  the  hot  sun  when  the  nurse  crop  is  removed.  The 
field  intended  for  clover  should  be  plowed  in  the  fall,  or  as 


50 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 


early  as  possible  in  the  spring,  and  a top  dressing  of  ground 
limestone  applied  at  the  rate  of  2,000  pounds  per  acre.  The 
field  should  be  harrowed  at  short  intervals  to  kill  all  weeds,  and 
this  harrowing  should  be  kept  up  until  about  the  middle  of  May. 
Fifteen  pounds  of  seed  per  acre  should  be  sown  and  covered  to 
a depth  of  iy2  to  2 inches.  The  seeding  should  be  followed  by 
a roller  to  compact  the  soil  around  the  seed,  and  the  roller  should 
be  followed  by  a light  harrow  to  roughen  and  loosen  the  im- 
mediate surface  to  check  evaporation  and  blowing  of  sand  by 
the  wind,  or  a corrugated  roller  can  be  used  to  do  the  work  of 
both.  Where  it  can  be  secured  a top  dressing  of  well  rotted 
manure  should  be  applied  before  the  last  harrowing.  If  ma- 
nure is  not  available  about  300  pounds  of  acid  phosphate  or 
ground  steamed  bone-meal  and  100  pounds  of  muriate  of  potash 
should  be  applied  at  the  time  of  seeding  to  clover.  If  only  a 
small  amount  of  manure  is  available  it  may  be  supplemented  by 
ground  rock  phosphate,  and  this  can  be  sprinkled  over  the  ma- 
nure in  the  spreader  and  applied  at  the  same  time. 

Peat  may  often  be  used  to  advantage  as  a fertilizer  if  peat 
marshes  are  close  at  hand.  It  contains  a high  percentage  of 
nitrogen,  but  should  be  supplemented  by  potash  and  phosphate 
fertilizers,  as  it  is  deficient  in  these  elements.  The  use  of  a light 
application  of  manure  will  assist  in  making  the  nitrogen  of  the 
peat  become  available  to  plants. 

Late  in  the  summer  it  may  be  necessary  to  clip  the  weeds 
which  are  sure  to  come.  The  cutting  bar  should  be  run  high 
and  the  clipping  left  on  the  field  as  a mulch.  The  second  year 
the  first  crop  should  be  cut  for  hay  and  the  second  crop  plowed 
under  as  green  manure  to  prepare  the  land  for  a cultivated  crop. 
After  the  first  application,  ground  limestone  should  be -applied 
at  the  rate  of  about  1,000  pounds  per  acre  once  during  every 
rotation.  The  amount  of  commercial  fertilizers  containing  phos- 
phorus and  potash  which  should  be  subsequently  applied  will 
depend  on  the  crops  to  be  grown  and  especially  on  the  amount 
of  manure  produced  on  the  farm. 

Soybeans  or  yellow  lupine  or  spring  vetch  may  be  grown  on 
sandy  soils  and  if  plowed  under  they  furnish  organic  matter 
and  nitrogen  to  the  soil.  When  the  soil  has  been  built  up,  a 
nurse  crop  may  be  used  in  seeding  clover  and  other  legumes  to 
better  advantage  than  when  the  soil  is  run  down  and  poor. 


GROUP  OF  LIGHT  SANDS  AND  FINE  SANDS 


51 


A three,  four,  or  five  year  rotation  may  be  followed.  If  but 
little  stock  is  kept,  a three  year  rotation  consisting  of  a cultivated 
crop  of  corn  or  potatoes  followed  by  rye  or  oats  and  clover  the 
third  year  works  well.  The  second  crop  of  clover  should  be 
plowed  under.  If  manure  is  scarce,  acid  phosphate  and  potash 
must  be  applied  in  addition  to  green  manuring  crops  to  keep  up 
the  fertility  of  sandy  soils.  If  considerable  stock  is  kept  the 
rotation  can  be  increased  to  four  years  using  the  clover  field 
one  year  for  pasture  before  plowing  up.  The  manure  applied 
in  the  winter  or  early  spring  of  the  year  the  clover  is  pastured 
increases  the  value  of  the  pasture  and  benefits  the  next  crop. 
The  silo  should  be  used  to  supplement  pasture  on  sandy  soil. 

In  a five  year  rotation  alfalfa  may  be  introduced,  but  this 
requires  that  considerable  stock  be  kept,  since  none  of  the  alfalfa 
should  be  sold.  The  field  should  be  left  in  alfalfa  for  three  years 
with  two  years  given  to  cultivated  crops  and  grain.  Manure 
should  be  applied  to  the  cultivated  crop  and  also  to  the  first  year 
of  alfalfa.  This  system  is  very  desirable  except  that  it  does  not 
provide  any  pasture.  To  overcome  this  the  farm  may  be  divided 
and  both  the  four  and  the  five  year  rotation  practiced.  Alfalfa 
may  also  be  grown  by  itself  and  kept  on  the  same  field  year  after 
year,  in  which  case  its  place  in  the  rotation  should  be  filled  by 
clover.  When  the  alfalfa  begins  to  run  out,  the  field  should  be 
reseeded. 

In  the  cultivation  of  the  sandy  soils  fall  plowing  for  rye,  and 
spring  plowing  for  all  other  crops,  is  the  usual  practice.  The 
seed  bed  should  be  prepared  to  a depth  of  at  least  8 inches  and 
organic  matter  should  be  worked  in  deeply  as  well  as  near  the 
surface  to  increase  the  water-holding  capacity  and  to  induce  a 
deeper  development  of  the  roots.  When  the  land  is  plowed  in 
the  spring  it  is  often  advisable  to  pack  the  soil  with  a roller,  but 
this  should  be  followed  by  a light  harrow  to  secure  a mulch  on 
the  surface.  Where  the  fields  are  exposed,  and  the  soil  is  blown 
by  the  wind,  an  effort  should  be  made  to  prevent  damage  from 
this  source.  The  most  effective  plan  is  to  lay  out  the  land  in 
long  narrow  fields  so  as  to  have  crops  that  cover  the  ground  in 
the  early  spring,  such  as  clover  and  rye,  alternate  with  the  culti- 
vated ground. 

With  the  successful  growing  of  clover  and  possibly  alfalfa, 
the  dairy  industry  may  be  developed  to  a much  greater  extent 
than  at  present.  By  plowing  under  a crop  of  clover  every  few 


52 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 


years  and  by  following  a definite  rotation  and  approved  meth- 
ods, the  yields  of  potatoes  will  be  greatly  increased;  and  this 
crop  may  well  be  depended  upon  as  one  of  the  chief  sources  of 
income  for  the  sandy  soils  of  the  area.  Beans,  peas,  sweet  corn, 
etc.,  could  be  profitably  grown  to  a much  greater  extent,  and  the 
trucking  industry  should  be  extended  where  arrangements  can 
be  made  for  marketing.  The  soil  warms  up  early  and  is  well 
suited  to  cucumbers,  strawberries,  and  all  quick  maturing 
vegetables. 


MISCELLANEOUS  MATERIAL 


53 


CHAPTER  VI. 

MISCELLANEOUS  MATERIAL. 


ROUGH  STONY  LAND. 

Rough  stony  land  includes  rock  exposures,  cliffs,  and  land 
which  is  too  steep  and  rough  to  plow  or  cultivate  profitably.  It 
may  be  considered  nonagricultural,  as  it  is  of  value  only  for  the 
small  amount  of  timber  and  pasture  which  it  supplies. 

This  type  occupies  a large  part  of  the  steep  walls  bordering 
the  valleys  and  forms  a border  between  the  valley  bottoms  and 
the  high  land  of  the  ridges.  The  type  is  developed  as  narrow 
bands,  many  miles  in  extent,  winding  in  and  out  of  the  valleys 
and  coves,  but  confined  to  the  steepest  slopes.  A part  of  the  type 
occurs  as  narrow  ridges  upon  which  areas  of  soil  too  small  to  be 
mapped  are  sometimes  found.  The  bluffs  and  cliffs  are  highest 
along  the  western  portion  of  the  county,  and  frequently  reach  an 
elevation  of  450  to  500  feet  above  the  valley  bottoms  there.  The 
ridge  tops  are  also  wider  here  than  elsewhere,  and  range  in 
width  from  one-half  to  1 mile,  while  in  the  interior  of  the  county 
and  along  the  eastern  portion  the  valleys  ramify  more  exten- 
sively, the  ridge  tops  are  narrower,  and  the  steep  valley  walls 
are  not  so  high.  The  elevation  of  the  ridge  tops  ranges  from 
150  to  250  feet  above  the  valley  floor  throughout  most  of  the 
interior  of  the  county. 

Rough  stony  land  is  quite  uniformly  distributed  throughout 
the  upland  portion  of  the  county  and  is  intimately  associated 
with  Knox  silt  loam  and  the  steep  phase  of  that  type.  Wherever 
there  are  a few  inches  of  soil  it  is  usually  a silt  loam,  though  there 
are  exceptions  to  this  in  the  region  of  sandstone  rocks  where  the 
soil  is  sandy.  The  greater  proportion  of  the  rock  exposed  con- 
sists of  lower  Magnesian  limestone,  though  there  is  also  consid- 
erable Potsdam  sandstone  exposed  directly  below  the  limestone. 


54 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 


The  forest  growth  consists  of  white  oak,  red  oak,  hickory,  and 
a few  birch  and  elm  trees.  The  best  of  the  timber  has  been  re- 
moved and  the  remainder  serves  to  protect  the  slopes  from  wash- 
ing. 

The  inclusion  of  Rough  stony  land  in  farms  reduces  the  value 
of  better  land  and  it  renders  the  fields  and  farms  on  the  ridges 
less  accessible.  It  makes  hauling  to  market  difficult,  as  many  of 
the  roads  from  the  valleys  to  the  upland  cross  steep  strips  of 
this  class  of  land. 


THE  GENESEE  SOILS. 

This  series  of  soils  includes  all  material  deposited  in  the  pres- 
ent flood  plains  of  the  Mississippi  and  Chippewa  Rivers  which 
border  the  county  on  the  west  and  north,  and  of  the  lower  part 
of  Buffalo  River  in  the  center  of  the  county.  Owing  to  the  mixed 
nature  of  the  material  and  difficulty  in  seeing  much  of  it,  the 
separation  of  types  on  the  floodplains  is  not  done  in  a strictly  de- 
tailed manner,  the  main  object  being  to  separate  the  sandy  soils 
from  the  heavier  ones. 

GENESEE  FINE  SANDY  LOAM 

This  type  includes  all  the  sandy  material  of  the  floodplains 
above  mentioned.  Much  of  the  soil  which  is  a fine  sandy  loam 
consists  of  6 to  10  inches  of  compact  dark  brown  fine  sandy  loam 
on  yellowish  brown  fine  sandy  loam  or  fine  sand.  Layers  of 
medium  or  coarse  sand  often  occur  in  the  subsoil  at  varying 
depths.  Considerable  variations  in  the  texture  of  this  type 
occur.  Chocolate  brown  fine  sandy  loam  or  loam  soil  often  bor- 
ders the  banks  of  the  sloughs  or  sand  knolls  and  ridges  occur 
with  intervening  swales  and  low  spots  of  heavier  loam  or  silt 
loam  soil  on  sand.  This  type  of  soil  follows  the  channels  of  the 
Chippewa  and  Mississippi  Rivers  and  the  sloughs  connected  with 
them  all  along  the  north  and  west  sides  of  the  county,  occupying 
a considerable  portion  of  the  32,000  acres  of  flood  plain  land  in 
the  county.  Some  of  thte  islands  in  the  Mississippi  River  are 
mere  banks  or  flats  of  sand  built  up  by  the  river,  others  are 
sandy  around  the  edges  with  heavier  soil  in  the  interior.  Con- 
siderable amounts  of  the  more  sandy  phase  are  included  also 


MISCELLANEOUS  MATERIAL 


55 


in  Sections  12,  13,  24,  and  25  east  and  north  of  Maxwell  Station. 

The  Genesee  soils  lie  upon  a low  level  to  flat  irregularly  wooded 
plain  cut  by  sloughs  and  old  stream  channels.  Some  of  the  sandy 
knolls  are  more  elevated,  the  type  lying  from  1 to  10  feet  above 
normal  water  stage.  Some  of  the  higher  sandy  knolls  are  seldom 
if  ever  flooded  but  most  of  the  bottom  land  is  subject  to  flooding 
especially  in  spring.  Occasionally  as  much  as  6 or  8 feet  of  water 
has  covered  the  bottoms.  Floods  are  less  frequent  since  the  dis- 
continuance of  logging  operations  and  dams  on  the  sloughs.  In 
general  the  highest  elevations  occur  along  sloughs  and  along  the 
rivers. 

The  soil  material  has  been  deposited  in  the  valley  bottoms  by 
the  more  recent  floods  of  the  rivers  and  is  largely  derived  from 
glacial  material  brought  down  by  the  streams  from  farther  north 
and  east. 

In  the  lower  portions  and  bordering  the  sloughs  the  soil  is 
timbered,  often  quite  heavily,  to  elm,  oak,  birch,  and  soft  maple 
or  birch  and  willow  brush.  More  elevated  or  sandy  portions 
subject  to  considerable  drying  out  at  times,  have  scattered  oak 
and  in  some  cases  a semi-prairie  condition  with  red-top  grass  and 
scattered  oaks,  is  found. 

Some  small  patches  of  the  soil  have  been  under  cultivation  and 
very  good  yields  obtained.  Most  of  the  soil  cannot  be  used  and 
serves  only  as  a pasture  land  and  furnishes  some  hay.  The 
higher  sandy  portions  which  are  cultivated  in  one  or  two  places, 
produce  good  rye,  potatoes,  or  corn,  but  in  dry  seasons  are  sub- 
ject to  drought  due  to  the  open  sandy  subsoil  which  prevents 
capillary  rise  of  water.  Less  elevated  portions  of  the  soil  which 
are  also  somewhat  finer  are  reported  to  have  produced  as  much 
as  60  bushels  of  corn,  250  bushels  of  potatoes,  and  60  bushels  of 
oats  per  acre  in  favorable  seasons.  These  yieldsi  cannot  be 
depended  upon  because  these  lower  portions  of  the  soil  type  are 
often  subject  to  overflow. 

Low  Phase  Genesee  Fine  Sandy  Loam. — Within  the  area  of  fine 
sandy  loam  (largely  wooded)  are  included  low  open  areas  of 
overflow  land  which  are  covered  with  water  most  of  the  time. 
The  vegetation  consists  of  reeds,  sweet  flag,  and  generally  coarser 
marsh  grasses.  Where  such  areas  are  extensive  they  have  been 
separated  out  as  low  phase  of  the  fine  sandy  loam. 

The  soil  on  such  overflow  areas  is  generally  heavier  than  that 
on  the  wooded  portions  and  varies  greatly  in  depth  and  texture. 


56 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 


The  soil  is  generally  a grayish  drab  or  mottled  brown  loam  on  a 
sandy  loam  subsoil.  The  surface  heavy  layer  is  often  only  2 to 
8 inches  deep,  but  may  be  as  much  as  3 feet  deep  in  the  larger 
open  areas.  Coarse  sand  layers  may  be  found  in  the  subsoil  in 
shallow  places  and  bluish  sticky  clay  layers  are  also  found  where 
the  soil  is  deeper.  In  Section  1 southwest  of  Nelson,  the  soil  of 
this  phase  is  a mealy  chocolate-brown  loamy  material  containing 
much  organic  matter,  fine  silt,  and  coarse  sand  grains.  This  is 
6 to  10  inches  deep  on  dark  brown  sandy  loam. 

None  of  this  phase  of  the  soil  has  ever  been  cultivated  and 
it  now  has  little  agricultural  use,  the  amount  of  hay  cut  on  it 
being  limited  because  of  the  generally  coarse  nature  of  the 
grasses  which  grow  on  most  of  these  low  areas. 

GENESEE  SILT  LOAM. 

' This  is  a compact  mealy  chocolate-brown  silt  loam  becoming 
lighter  brown  in  color  at  8 to  12  inches.  Fine  and  very  fine  sand 
particles  are  found  in  the  subsoil  in  increasing  amounts  until 
at  about  16  to  20  inches  the  soil  often  becomes  a fine  sandy  loam 
with  yellowish  brown  sandy  loam  at  20  to  30  inches.  The  depth 
of  surface  soil  varies  from  8 to  30  inches.  In  low  wet  marshy 
places  the  soil  is  a grayish  or  bluish  mottled  color  with  a sticky 
clay  loam  subsoil  underlaid  at  greater  depth  by  sandy  loam 
material. 

This  type  covers  about  17  square  miles  of  the  bottom  lands 
from  Alma  north  along  the  Mississippi  and  Chippewa  Rivers. 

The  surface  is  level  with  some  small  knolls  and  is  cut  by  old 
sloughs  and  drainage  courses  or  slightly  lower  marshy  areas. 
The  elevations  are  greatest  near  the  larger  streams  and  the  best 
drained  areas  border  the  Chippewa  and  Mississippi  Rivers. 

Like  the.  other  Genesee  types  the  soil  was  deposited  by  over- 
flow waters  of  the  rivers  and  is  still  subject  to  overflow  in  time 
of  high  water. 

The  vegetation  consists  of  heavy  timber  composed  largely  of 
big  trees.  Elm,  soft  maple,  oak,  and  cotton  wood  are  interspersed 
with  more  open  glades  covered  with  a dense  growth  of  tall  blue 
joint  grass.  Lower  more  continually  flooded  marshy  areas  are 
covered  with  coarser  grasses,  reeds,  and  sweet  flags  as  well  as 
patches  of  brush-alder,  willow,  and  birch. 


MISCELLANEOUS  MATERIAL 


57 


Outside  of  pasture  land  and  the  cutting  of  blue  joint  hay,  very 
little  agricultural  use  is  made  of  the  soil  at  present.  Farms  have 
been  started  at  a number  of  places,  but  the  almost  annual  floe 
ing  and  uncertainty  of  crop  yields  has  led  to  their  partial  or 
complete  abandonment  in  most  cases.  The  soil  material  is  highly 
fertile  and  in  favorable  seasons  excellent  yields  of  corn,  small 
grain,  potatoes,  and  tame  hay  have  been  produced.  Drainage 
would  require  expensive  dikes  or  levees  to  keep  off  floods,  but  if 
its  drainage  could  be  accomplished  this  soil  would  make  excellent 
farm  land. 

GENESEE  SILTY  CLAY  LOAM 

This  is  a dark  brown  sticky  silty  clay  loam  on  medium  to  fine 
sandy  loam.  The  depth  of  heavy  surface  soil  varies  from  8 to  30 
inches  or  more.  The  deepest  dark  brown  surface  layer  occurs  on 
the  higher  portions  near  the  streams.  Grayish  or  mottled  brown 
silty  clay  loam  with  blue  clay  subsoil  at  18  to  24  inches  is  found  in 
the  lower  open  marshy  areas  near  the  main  land.  As  with  the 
other  Genesee  types,  this  soil  type  is  not  entirely  uniform  and 
includes  some  soil  of  lighter  texture.  A sticky  brown  or  mottled 
loam  or  sandy  loam  on  a sandy  loam  subsoil  occurs  in  places, 
especially  along  the  immediate  banks  of  the  sloughs. 

The  silty  clay  loam  covers  about  8 square  miles  of  the  bottoms 
from  Fountain  City  south  to  Marshland. 

The  topography  is  level  with  slight  knolls  or  slightly  elevated 
areas  interspersed  with  lower  wet  areas.  In  dry  years  with  low 
water,  some  of  the  more  elevated  portions  have  sufficient  drainage 
for  cultivation.  The  lower  marshy  portions  and  all  of  the  type 
in  times  of  high  water  is  too  wet  to  cultivate  and  drainage  by 
diking  ditches  and  probably  pumping  are  necessary  to  make  the 
land  available  for  continued  farming. 

The  soil  is  an  alluvial  deposit  laid  down  in  more  quiet  water 
than  that  in  which  the  coarser  soils  to  the  north  were  deposited. 

As  in  the  case  of  the  silt  loam,  the  soil  is  partly  timbered  with 
large  elm,  oak,  soft  maple,  basswood,  and  birch  trees.  Tall  blue 
joint  grass  grows  among  the  more  scattered  trees.  Much  of  the 
soil  is  in  a marshy  condition  and  coarse  grasses  and  sweet  flags 
cover  these  portions  with  scattered  clumps  of  birch  and  willow 
tree  brush. 


58 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 


In  the  southwest  corner  of  the  county  a part  of  this  type  of  soil 
has  been  protected  from  overflow  and  partially  drained  by 
straightening  the  channel  of  the  Trempealeau  River  by  closing 
some  of  the  sloughs  and  dredging  a main  ditch  through  the  area. 
Crops  consist  mainly  of  corn,  hay,  and  some  potatoes.  Only  the 
higher  knolls  are  cultivated,  hay  being  cut  on  the  lower  portions. 
The  soil  is  fertile  material  and  when  well  drained  produces  very 
good  yields. 


WABASH  LOAM. 

The  Wabash  loam  where  typically  developed  consists  of  a 
black  loam  surface  soil  extending  to  a depth  of  12  to  16  inches, 
underlain  by  drab  or  grayish  loam  or  silt  loam  which,  in  the 
lower  subsoil,  grades  into  sandy  material.  As  found  in  this 
county,  however,  the  type  is  quite  variable  and  there  is  a consid- 
erable proportion  which  does  not  conform  closely  with  this 
description.  In  a number  of  places  the  surface  soil  contains  vary- 
ing quantities  of  fine  and  very  fine  sand,  and  in  such  places  the 
color  is  usually  lighter  than  where  the  texture  is  a loam  or  silt 
loam.  In  a number  of  places  the  subsoil  is  darker  than  the  pres- 
ent surface  soil,  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  original  black  surface 
has  been  covered  by  wash  of  lighter  colored  material  from  the 
adjoining  slopes.  Frequently  large  amounts  of  sand  and  frag- 
ments of  limestone  have  been  washed  out  over  the  soil  from  the 
tributary  valleys  and  ravines  and  the  variations  which  result 
from  such  conditions  could  not  be  indicated.  The  material  com- 
posing the  type,  however,  is  better  adapted  to  agricultural  devel- 
opment than  most  of  the  Genessee  Series  and  was  therefore  sep- 
arated from  that  series. 

The  Wabash  loam  is  found  most  extensively  along  the  Buffalo 
and  Trempealeau  Rivers  and  Big  and  Little  Waumandee  Creeks 
and  some  of  their  tributaries.  It  occupies  narrow  strips  along 
these  streams  and  is  the  lowest  land  in  the  bottoms.  The  surface 
usually  has  a gentle  slope  toward  the  streams  and  most  of  the 
type  is  subject  to  overflow.  By  straightening  and  deepening 
stream  channels  much  of  this  t}^pe  doubtless  could  be  reclaimed. 
Tile  drains  could  also  be  used  in  draining  such  tracts. 

In  origin  this  type  is  largely  alluvial,  though  there  are  many 
narrow  valleys  and  ravines  having  a small  amount  of  this  soil 


VIEW  ACROSS  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  BUFFALO  RIVER. 


Wisconsin  Geol.  and  Nat.  Hist.  Survey.  Pi. ate  III 


MISCELLANEOUS  MATERIAL 


59 


along  the  bottoms  where  the  material  is  colluvial  in  origin.  In 
such  places  there  is  a great  rush  of  water  during  heavy  rains, 
but  this  quickly  runs  off  on  account  of  the  steep  grade. 

The  growth  on  this  soil  consists  of  willow,  hazel  brush,  poplar, 
cherry,  elm,  and  soft  maple.  There  is  a rank  growth  of  grass  over 
much  of  the  type,  affording  excellent  pasturage,  and  frequently 
hay  is  cut  where  there  is  no  brush  to  interfere. 

The  cutting  of  hay  and  pasturing  are  the  only  agricultural 
uses  to  which  the  Wabash  loam  is  put  at  present.  If  properly 
drained,  as  some  of  it  could  be,  it  would  be  adapted  to  corn, 
small  grains,  timothy  hay,  alsike  clover,  and  a number  of  other 
crops. 

PEAT. 

Description. — The  material  mapped  as  Peat  consists  of  vege- 
table matter  in  various  stages  of  decomposition  and  with  which 
there  has  frequently  been  incorporated  a very  small  quantity  of 
mineral  matter.  The  surface  is  black  or  dark  brown  and  is 
usually  fairly  well  decomposed,  while  the  underlying  material  is 
of  a brownish  color  and  fibrous  in  most  cases.  The  Peat  extends 
to  a depth  greater  than  3 feet  in  all  cases,  and  it  is  probable  that 
it  exceeds  10  feet  over  most  of  the  areas,  though  the  exact  depth 
was  not  determined. 

Extent  and  Distribution. — The  Peat  in  this  survey  is  of  rather 
small  extent.  The  largest  area  extends  from  about  3 miles  west 
of  Mondovi  west  and  northwest  to  the  county  line  and  south- 
ward through  several  stream  valleys.  The  area  comprises  the 
divide  between  Farrington  Creek,  flowing  east  into  Buffalo  River, 
and  Big  Bear  Creek,  flowing  west  into  the  Chippewa  River. 
This  divide,  however,  is  not  marked,  and  no  differences  in  eleva- 
tion in  the  marsh  can  be  detected  by  the  eye.  Other  areas  of 
Peat  are  encountered  in  various  stream  valleys  throughout  the 
county,  the  largest  occurring  along  the  Trempealeau  River  in  the 
southeastern  part  of  the  county.  These  consist  of  low,  wet  tracts 
bordering  the  river,  and  it  would  be  difficult  to  reclaim  them. 

Native  Vegetation. — Some  of  the  areas  of  Peat  are  timbered 
with  a dense  growth  of  tamarack,  while  other  portions  are  treeless 
and  support  a thick  growth  of  coarse,  wild  grass.  In  Farrington 
Creek  Valley  both  conditions  are  found.  Over  the  open  marshes 


60 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 


the  wild  grass  is  frequently  cut  for  hay,  and  this  is  the  extent  of 
the  present  agricultural  use  of  this  soil. 

In  a number  of  the  Peat  areas  reclamation  is  practicable. 
When  properly  handled  the  Peat  should  yield  good  crops  of  corn, 
timothy,  and  alsike  clover,  and  even  small  grains  can  be  grown 
successfully. 

None  of  the  Peat  soil  has  been  artificially  drained,  its  agri- 
cultural use  being  confined  to  pasture  and  production  of  hay. 

Chemical  Composition  and  improvement  of  Genesee  soils  and 
Peat. 


GENERAL  AGRICULTURE  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY 


61 


CHAPTER  VII. 

GENERAL  AGRICULTURE  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 

Agriculture  in  Buffalo  County  dates  back  to  the  first  settle- 
ments of  this  region,  which  were  made  between  1845  and  1850. 
As  was  the  case  in  other  parts  of  Wisconsin,  the  production  of 
grain  early  became  the  chief  branch  of  farming,  and  for  a con- 
siderable time  wheat  was  grown  more  extensively  than  all  other 
grains  combined.  As  late  as  1885  wheat  still  constituted  about 
50  per  cent  of  the  grain  produced,  while  oats  made  up  about  27 
per  cent  and  corn  about  16  per  cent.  The  history  of  grain 
growing  in  this  region  is  similar  to  that  of  other  parts  of  the 
State.  Fields  were  cropped  to  grain  continuously  for  such  a long 
period  that  the  productiveness  of  the  soil  was  gradually  reduced, 
and  when  the  prices  began  to  decline  and  insect  pests  became 
troublesome  the  crop  was  not  very  profitable.  During  the  last 
25  or  30  years  there  has  been  a gradual  falling  off  in  the  produc- 
tion of  wheat,  andi  in  1910  the  total  acreage  for  the  county  was 
only  4,575  acres.  With  the  decline  in  wheat  growing  there  has 
been  an  increase  in  the  production  of  oats,  hay,  and  corn,  and 
the  system  of  farming  which  is  followed  at  present  is  a much 
better  one  than  that  practiced  a half  century  ago. 

The  present  agriculture  consists  of  general  farming,  with 
dairying  as  the  most  important  and  highly  specialized  branch, 
and  the  tendency  throughout  the  county  is  toward  a still  greater 
development  of  the  dairy  farming.  With  this  industry  are  com- 
ing better  methods  of  farming,  improved  grades  of  live  stock, 
and  a greater  interest  in  all  lines  of  agricultural  development. 

The  general  farm  crops  most  extensively  grown,  in  the  order  of 
their  acreage,  are  oats,  hay,  corn,  barley,  rye,  and  wheat. 

Oats  are  grown  more  extensively  than  any  other  crop  in  the 
county,  and  in  1909,  according  to  the  census  reports,  1,377,555 


62 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 


bushels  were  produced  from  46,304  acres,  or  about  30  bushels  to 
the  acre.  Part  of  the  crop  is  marketed  through  elevators  at 
Fountain  City,  Alma,  Mondovi,  and  Winona,  Minn.,  but  the 
greater  part  is  fed  to  stock  on  the  farms.  Oats  form  the  bulk  of 
the  grain  fed  to  horses  and  are  ground  as  part  of  the  ration  for 
feeding  cattle  and  hogs.  The  crop  is  grown  mainly  on  the  Knox 
silt  loam.  It  is  grown  quite  extensively  also  on  the  Lintonia  silt 
loam,  Boone  fine  sandy  loam,  Bates  silt  loam,  and  Waukesha  silt 
loam,  on  all  of  which  good  yields  are  obtained.  On  the  more 
sandy  types  yields  are  considerably  lower.  The  quality  of  all 
small  grains  is  best  where  grown  on  light-colored  soils,  and  the 
Knox  silt  loam  is  considered  to  be  the  best  small-grain  soil  in  the 
county.  On  dark  soils  the  growth  of  straw  is  apt  to  be  too  rank 
and  the  plants  frequently  lodge.  Also,  the  grain  is  slightly 
inferior  in  quality,  and  is  lighter  in  weight  than  that  grown  on 
the  lighter-colored  silt  loam  types. 

Hay  is  the  second  crop  in  importance.  In  1909  hay  was  cut 
from  40,709  acres,  producing  75,059  tons,  or  an  average  of  about 
1%  tons  per  acre.  Clover  and  timothy  constitute  the  greater 
part  of  the  hay  grown.  There  is  a considerably  greater  acreage 
devoted  to  timothy  alone  than  to  clover  alone.  Much  wild  hay 
is  cut  from  areas  of  Peat  and  Genessee  Soils  and  some  from  wet 
areas  of  Wabash  loam.  There  are  a few  fields  of  alfalfa  in  the 
county,  but  this  crop  is  grown  only  to  a very  small  extent  at 
present. 

Corn  ranks  third  in  acreage.  From  25,043  acres  in  1909  a 
yield  of  838,441  bushels  was  obtained,  or  an  average  of  over  33 
bushels  per  acre.  The  Waukesha  and  Bates  silt  loams  are  the 
best  corn  soils  in  the  county  and  on  these  types  yields  of  50  to  60 
or  even  70  bushels  per  acre  are  obtained  under  favorable  condi- 
tions, and  the  average  yield  is  always  considerably  above  the 
average  for  the  county.  A large  quantity  of  corn  is  cut  and  put 
into  the  silo  each  year,  and  the  quantity  is  gradually  increasing 
as  the  dairy  industry  develops.  Practically  all  of  the  corn 
allowed  to  mature  is  fed  to  hogs  or  other  stock  on  the  farms  where 
it  is  produced,  and  comparatively  little  is  sold.  Dent  varieties 
are  grown  most  extensively,  and  improvement  is  being  made 
through  the  use  of  more  carefully  selected  seed. 


GENERAL  AGRICULTURE  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY 


63 


Barley  ranks  fourth  in  acreage,  24,911  acres  in  1909  giving 
632,422  bushels,  or  an  average  yield  of  slightly  over  25  bushels 
per  acre.  Barley  is  grown  on  most  of  the  soils  of  the  county, 
except  the  extremely  sandy  types.  It  appears  to  do  better 
than  oats  on  sandy  and  fine  sandy  loam  soils.  The  acreage  on 
the  Knox  silt  loam  has  been  decreasing  more  rapidly  than  on 
some  of  the  other  types,  probably  because  of  the  growth  of  the 
dairy  industry  on  this  type.  As  in  the  case  of  oats,  grain  of 
the  best  quality  is  produced  on  light-colored  soils. 

Rye  is  one  of  the  most  important  crops  on  the  light-textured 
soils  of  the  county,  though  it  is  grown  to  some  extent  on  prac- 
tically all  of  the  cultivated  types.  The  acreage  in  1909  was 
4,663  acres  and  the  production  67,511  bushels,  or  slightly  over 
14  bushels  per  acre.  This  crop  is  better  adapted  to  sandy  soils 
than  the  other  grains  grown  in  the  county. 

In  1909  wheat  was  grown  on  4,575  acres,  with  a production 
of  88,302  bushels,  or  about  19  bushels  per  acre.  The  crop  is 
grown  mainly  on  the  Knox,  Lintonia,  and  Bates  silt  loams.  Some 
of  the  fine  sandy  loams  also  are  used  for  the  production  of  wheat. 
The  Knox  silt  loam  produces  a very  good  quality  of  wheat,  as 
well  as  of  other  small  grains. 

Potatoes  are  not  grown  on  a commercial  scale,  except  in  a 
few  instances.  The  potato  patch  seldom  covers  more  than  an 
acre  or  two.  According  to  the  census,  1,423  acres  were  devoted 
to  the  crop  in  1909,  producing  177,849  bushels,  or  about  125 
bushels  per  acre.  During  favorable  seasons  yields  of  250  bushels 
an  acre  are  obtained  from  fields  which  have  received  special  at- 
tention. 

In  the  vicinity  of  Alma  and  Fountain  City  small  fruits  and 
grapes  are  grown  successfully,  and  the  trucking  industry  has 
been  developed  to  a small  extent.  In  the  southern  part  of  the 
county  about  Marshall  and  also  in  the  northeastern  part  about 
Mondovi  there  is  a little  trucking  carried  on,  and  it  would  seem 
that  this  industry  might  be  profitably  extended.  Peas  and  beans 
are  not  extensively  grown,  but  cucumbers,  chiefly  for  pickling, 
are  grown  in  various  parts  of  the  county,  Alma  and  Fountain 
City  having  pickling  stations.  Raspberries,  currants,  strawber- 
ries, etc.,  do  very  well.  Many  farmers  have  small  apple  orchards 
from  which  fruit  of  good  quality  is  usually  obtained,  but  apples 


64 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 


are  not  grown  on  a commercial  scale.  There  are  a large  number 
of  excellent  orchard  sites  throughout  the  county,  the  climatic  con- 
ditions are  favorable,  and  it  would  seem  that  apple  growing 
might  well  be  developed  on  a commercial  scale. 

In  1913  there  were  17  cheese  factories  and  10  creameries  in 
Buffalo  County,  and  the  output  of  dairy  products  is  gradually 
increasing.  Dairying  is  carried  on  in  all  parts  of  the  county, 
but  is  most  highly  developed  on  the  silt  loam  and  fine  sandy 
loam  soils.  Considering  the  county  as  a whole,  dairying  is  prob- 
ably better  adapted  to  the  Knox  silt  loam  than  to  any  other 
type.  This  type  is  excellent  grain,  grass,  and  clover  soil,  fair 
corn  soil,  and  has  associated  with  it  a large  amount  of  steep  land 
and  Rough  stony  land  which  provides  an  abundance  of  excellent 
pasturage. 

Most  of  the  dairy  herds  in  the  county  are  made  up  of  grade 
animals,  with  occasional  herds  of  pure-bred  Holstein,  Guernsey, 
and  Jersey.  The  use  of  purebred  sires  is  gradually  bringing  the 
dairy  stock  of  the  county  to  a higher  standard.  Beef  cattle  are 
raised  to  some  extent.  Among  the  pure  beef  breeds  the  Short- 
horn and  Aberdeen  Angus  are  represented  most  largely.  There 
is  some  Hereford  blood  in  the  county  also,  and  the  number  of  all 
purebred  animals  is  gradually  increasing,  though  most  of  the 
beef  cattle  are  grade  stock.  A considerable  number  of  calves  and 
young  stock  are  shipped  out  of  the  county  each  year. 

On  the  dark,  level  soils  of  the  valleys  corn  is  grown  more  ex- 
tensively than  in  the  upland  regions,  and  therefore  in  these 
sections  hog  raising  is  carried  on  to  a greater  extent  than  else- 
where, though  some  hogs  are  raised  in  all  parts  of  the  county  in 
connection  with  dairying.  More  hogs  and  other  stock  are  raised 
in  the  Waumandee  Valley  and  in  the  vicinity  of  Mondovi  than 
in  other  portions  of  the  county. 

There  are  more  horses  raised  in  Buffalo  County  than  in  any 
other  section  of  the  State,  and  purebred  Percheron,  Morgan, 
Clydesdale,  and  Belgian  horses  are  to  be  seen  throughout  the 
county.  Most  farmers  raise  their  own  work  stock,  and  many  plan 
to  have  a heavy  draft  team  to  sell  every  few  years.  There  are  a 
few  farmers  who  make  a business  of  raising  horses. 

Sheep  raising  is  carried  on  to  some  extent,  and  there  are  a 
number  of  farmers  raising  purebred  sheep  in  various  parts  of  the 
county. 

The  adaptation  of  soils  to  crops  is  recognized  to  some  extent. 


GENERAL  AGRICULTURE  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY  64  a 

The  dark  Waukesha  and  Bates  soils  are  known  to  be  better  corn 
soils  than  the  lighter  colored  types,  and  the  Knox  silt  loam  is 
held  better  adapted  to  small  grains  than  are  the  dark  soils.  Rye 
and  buckwheat  are  confined  principally  to  the  sandy  types  of 
soil,  because  experience  has  shown  that  these  soils  can  be  used 
profitably  for  this  crop. 

While  crop  rotations  vary  on  the  different  soils  throughout 
the  county,  probably  the  most  common  rotation  consists  of  corn 
followed  by  a small  grain,  such  as  oats,  barley,  rye,  or  wheat  one 
year,  or  possibly  two  years,  and  then  seeded  to  timothy  and 
clover.  Hay  is  usually  cut  for  two  years.  Very  often  the  hay 
field  is  not  pastured,  since  there  is  a large  area  of  rough  land 
on  most  farms  which  is  devoted  largely  to  grazing.  On  the 
sandy  soils  the  ordinary  rotation  is  somewhat  different,  and  may 
consist  of  one  year  corn,  followed  by  one  year  rye  seeded  to 
clover,  followed  by  corn.  On  some  farms  but  little  thought  is 
given  to  the  selection  of  crop  rotations  best  suited  to  the  condi- 
tions, but  more  attention  is  each  year  being  given  to  such  mat- 
ters, with  the  result  that  farm  methods  are  gradually  improving 
and  yields  increasing. 

Stable  manure  is  about  the  only  fertilizer  generally  used  at 
present  within  the  county.  Some  green  manuring  is  practiced, 
but  it  is  not  at  all  common,  and  commercial  fertilizers  are  sel- 
dom used,  except  in  a small  way  for  special  purposes.  The 
methods  of  cultivation  followed  by  the  majority  of  the  farmers 
are  thorough,  and  agriculture  is  highly  developed  in  nearly  all 
parts  of  the  county.  The  Waumandee  Valley  is  considered  to  be 
one  of  the  richest  sections  of  the  county,  chiefly  because  of  the 
rather  extensive  areas  of  level,  black  silt  loam  which  are  to  be 
found  there.  On  the  Bates  silt  loam  and  fine  sandy  loam,  as 
well  as  on  the  Knox  and  Lintonia  silt  loams,  very  fine  farms 
are  to  be  found.  Special  methods  of  cultivation  are  frequently 
required  in  this  county,  because  of  the  danger  of  erosion  on  the 
steep  hillsides.  These  special  methods  of  hillside  cultivation  are 
covered  under  the  discussion  of  the  various  soil  types  to  which 
they  refer. 

Of  the  weed  pests  which  are  found  in  Buffalo  County  the  Can- 
ada thistle  and  quack  grass  are  probably  the  most  troublesome. 

Farm  improvements  vary  with  the  character  of  the  soil,  but 


64b 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY 


as  by  far  the  greater  proportion  of  the  soil  in  the  county  is 
productive  most  of  the  farms  are  well  improved,  and  the  build- 
ings are  substantial  and  kept  in  good  repair.  The  best  farms 
and  buildings  are  found  on  the  Knox;  Waukesha,  and  Lintonia 
silt  loams,  and  on  the  Bates  silt  loam  and  fine  sandy  loam.  On 
the  extremely  sandy  soils  the  poor  quality  of  the  soil  is  reflected 
in  the  buildings,  fences,  crops,  and  farm  machinery. 

Obtaining  farm  labor  is  sometimes  difficult,  and  on  account  of 
this  condition  the  systems  of  agriculture  followed  are  often  more 
extensive  than  would  otherwise  be  the  case.  In  many  instances 
all  of  the  work  is  done  by  the  farmer  and  his  family.  When  a 
man  is  hired  for  the  entire  year  the  monthly  wage  is  about  $25 
to  $30.00  with  board  and  washing  free.  When  employed  only 
for  the  summer  or  the  growing  season  or  for  haying  and  harvest- 
ing the  wage  is  higher.  When  married  men  are  employed,  a 
house,  fuel,  and  garden  patch  are  often  supplied  in  addition 
to  the  regular  wage. 

According  to  the  census  of  1910,  92.8  per  cent  of  the  land  in 
Buffalo  County  is  in  farms,  and  of  this  49  per  cent  is  classed 
as  improved.  The  average  size  of  farms  is  given  as  189  acres  and 
the  average  amount  of  improved  land  on  each  farm  is  92  acres. 
Eighty-one  per  cent  of  the  farms  are  operated  by  their  owners, 
and  considerably  over  half  of  these  are  free  from  mortgage  debt. 
In  most  cases  where  land  is  rented,  cash  rather  than  share  pay- 
ments, are  made. 

During  the  period  from  1900  to  1910  the  value  of  lands  in 
Buffalo  County  increased  67.7  per  cent.  Values  vary  greatly, 
depending  upon  the  soil,  location,  improvement,  etc.  The  best 
farms  in  the  county  have  a selling  value  of  $100  to  $150  an  acre. 
The  poorest  farms,  on  the  extremely  sandy  soils,  could  probably 
be  bought  for  $10  to  $15  an  acre.  Farms  on  the  Waukesha  silt 
loam,  Bates  silt  loam,  Bates  fine  sandy  loam,  Knox  silt  loam,  and 
Lintonia  silt  loam  have  a higher  value  than  those  on  other  types. 
These  are  recognized  as  the  best  soils  of  the  county.  The  Knox 
silt  loam  is  the  most  extensive  type  but  some  of  the  others  men- 
tioned, while  of  small  area,  are  highly  improved.  In  Waumandee 
Valley,  for  example,  farms  on  the  Waukesha  silt  loam  are  as 
highly  developed  as,  or  possibly  more  highly  developed  than, 


GENERAL  AGRICULTURE  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY 


65 


those  in  any  other  section,  and  Waumandee  Valley  is  considered 
one  of  the  richest  agricultural  sections  of  the  county. 

In  general,  it  may  be  said  that  the  methods  of  farming  and 
agricultural  practices  followed  in  the  county  are  fairly  well 
adapted  to  the  existing  conditions. 


66 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  PROBLEM  OF  EROSION  IN  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 

The  most  important  single  problem  in  soil  management  in  Buf- 
falo County  is  due  to  the  large  amounts  of  steep  or  rolling  land. 
The  county  is  in  the  so-called  residual  portion  of  the  state  where 
the  streams  which  drain  the  area  have  cut  down  their  beds 
through  the  formerly  level  elevated  plain  lying  on  limestone  and 
into  the  sandstone  beneath.  These  valleys  have  never  been  al- 
tered or  filled  by  action  of  glaciers  which  once  covered  most  of 
the  state.  The  valleys  were  at  first  mere  erosion  ditches  or  small 
stream  beds  which  have  been  enlarged  and  deepened  during 
geological  ages  till  their  beds  lie  from  200  to  over  400  feet  below 
the  limestone  topped  ridges  which  extend  between.  The  valleys 
and  their  tributaries  radiate  like  the  veins  of  a leaf  and  the 
steep  slopes  which  lead  down  from  the  ridge  top  to  valley  bot- 
tom make  up  a considerable  part  of  the  area  of  the  county. 

Most  of  the  soil  on  the  sloping  land  is  heavy  and  is  included  in 
the  steep  phase  of  the  Knox  silt  loam.  These  slopes  which  origi- 
nally were  timbered  or  brush-covered  have  been  largely  cleared 
and  cultivated.  Because  of  their  unprotected  condition  and  ex- 
posure to  the  work  of  surface  run-off:  water  from  higher  land, 
fields  on  this  type  of  soil  are  often  extensively  washed  and  gul- 
lied by  the  descending  storm  water  and  the  water  from  melting 
snow  in  spring. 

Other  soils  subject  to  erosion  are  the  soils  of  the  Boone  series 
derived  from  sandstone  and  which  often  occupy  lower  slopes  in 
the  valleys.  The  soils  of  the  Lintonia  series  which  lie  in  narrow 
benches  along  the  sides  of  the  valley  bottoms  are  also  subject  to 
severe  gullying.  The  swift  flowing  water  from  the  ridges  and 
slopes  must  cross  these  benches  before  reaching  the  valley  stream 
and  deep  ravines,  gullies,  and  ditches  are  developed.  Soil  erosion 
is  a farm  problem  not  only  because  fields  are  cut  by  ditches  and 
gullies  which  make  cultivation  difficult,  but  because  erosion  re- 
moves the  finest  and  most  fertile  soil  particles  first  and  reduces 


VIEW  SHOWING  HOW  RAVINES1  MAY  BE  STARTED  ON  A GENTLE  SLOPE  WHERE  THE  SURFACE  IS  NOT  PROTECTED  BY  A GROWING  CROP. 

Much  of  the  land  in  Buffalo  County  is  subject  to  erosion  and  care  should  be  exercised  in  cultivation  and  in  rotations  followed  on  the  ste«p  land  so 

as  to  reduce  the  amount  of  damage  by  washing  to  the  minimum. 


Wisconsin  Geol.  and  Nat.  History.  Plate  IV 


KWBsmr  n? 


THE  PROBLEM  OF  EROSION  IN  BUFFALO  COUNTY 


•67 


the  fertility  and  yield  of  fields  by  removing  fine  soil  and  organic 
matter  from  the  surface.  The  causes  of  removal  of  soil  from  the 
surface  without  formation  of  gullies  generally  lie  in  improper 
methods  of  cultivation  or  poor  arrangement  of  fields.  Fields 
where  this  kind  of  erosion  occurs  are  often  only  gently  rolling  or 
undulating  and  the  rain  water  does  not  collect  in  larger  swift- 
flowing rills  or  streams  which  have  power  to  cut  ditches,  but  fol- 
lows the  cultivated  rows  such  as  corn  or  potatoes  or  the  drill 
rows  of  grain  fields  and  the  soil  is  removed  only  from  the  knolls 
and  deposited  in  the  hollows. 

Contour  cultivation  and  arrangement  of  the  crop  rows  across 
the  slope  instead  of  with  or  down  the  slopes  retards  the  move- 
ment of  soil  in  such  fields.  Keeping  the  most  exposed  places  in 
sod  as  much  as  possible  and  the  cultivation  of  the  field  in  alter- 
nate strips  of  crop  and  sod  across  the  slopes  are  inconvenient 
but  often  necessary  methods. 

Rotation  of  crops  in  such  a way  that  two  cultivated  crops  do 
not  follow  in  succession  gives  the  field  opportunity  to  recover 
from  its  losses  under  cultivation  and  avoiding  a hard  bare  condi- 
tion of  the  eroded  ground  after  harvest  as  much  as  possible  pre- 
vents surface  wash  in  the  fall.  A cover  or  catch  crop  of  rye  or 
peas  in  the  com  rows  helps  protect  the  soil  after  harvest  and  fur- 
nishes pasture  until  winter. 

Deep  plowing  and  plowing  under  of  straw,  manure,  or  a sec- 
ond crop  of  clover  to  increase  the  organic  matter  in  the  soil  also 
give  the  surface  of  the  field  greater  absorbing  capacity  and 
resistance  to  erosion. 

Gullying  occurs  where  greater  volumes  of  water  collect  form- 
ing cutting-streams  where  steeper  slopes  cause  the  water  to  flow 
faster  or  in  places  where  the  soil  has  an  unstaple  foundation  of 
sandy  material  which  easily  undermines  when  the  water  once 
cuts  through  the  surface  soil  and  establishes  a fall  which  cuts 
back  in  the  sandy  subsoil.  In  favorable  situations  large  gullies 
y2  mile  or  more  in  length  are  sometimes  cut  during  a single  sea- 
son. 

In  their  beginnings  most  small  gullies  are  easily  handled. 
Small  drainage-waj^s  or  shallow  ditches  can  be  filled  with  straw 
or  manure  and  plowed  shut.  Such  shallow  drainage-ways  should 
be  left  in  permanent  sod.  The  plow  can  be  easily  thrown  out  in 
passing  across  them.  On  the  level  terraces  or  where  heavy  soil 
lies  on  light  sand  or  sandy  gravelly  subsoil,  small  ditches  must 


68  SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 

be  immediately  tended  to  because  all  ditches  on  such  soil  are 
dangerous. 

Where  the  subsoil  is  clay  and  where  clay  or  silt  soil  material 
is  being  brought  down  by  the  flood  water,  large  gullies  may  be 
made  to  fill  by  putting  in  a dam  of  stump’s,  brush,  and  logs. 
Where  the  subsoil  is  sandy  much  greater  care'  is  required.  If 
dams  are  built  in  the  latter  case,  they  need  to  be  carefully  con- 
structed to  prevent  the  water  from  cutting  around  them. 

Dams  of  concrete,  stone,  wire  mesh,  and  brush  haVef  bfcen  slic- 
cessfully  used.  Flume  devices  also  have  been  used  to  carry  the 
water  over  the  head  of  the  ditch  and  down  into  it  preventing  its 
continued  growth. 

Planting  willows  and  bushes  on  the  sides  and  bottom  of  ditches 
too  deep  taifill  often  arrests  the  growth  of  the  ditch.  Sorghum, 
sweet  clover-  or  rye  make  good  emergency  crops  on  eroded  sp'ots 
and  fields  which  later  need  to  be  seeded  to  grasses  and  left  in 
permanent  sod.* 

♦See  Bulletin  272  of  the  Wisconsin  Experiment  Station. 1 


CLIMATE 


69 


CHAPTER  IX. 

CLIMATE* 

‘ 4 Among  the  factors  which  influence  the  agriculture  of  a state 
none  is  more  important  than  climate.  The  class  of  crops  which 
can  be  grown  is  largely  determined  by  the  length  of  the  growing 
season,  and  the  amount  and  distribution  of  the  rainfall.”  Any 
one  of  these  factors  may  determine  the  type  of  farming  which 
can  be  followed  to  best  advantage. 

“The  distribution  of  rainfall  over  Wisconsin  is  remarkably 
uniform,  the  average  yearly  precipitation  having  a range  of 
from  28  to  34  inches,  while  the  mean  for  the  state  as  a whole  is 
31  inches.  This  is  a slightly  heavier  rainfall  than  is  received  by 
eastern  England,  northern  France,  most  of  Germany,  Sweden, 
and  the  Dundee  Valley.  As  compared  with  other  portions  of 
this  country,  Wisconsin  has  a total  rainfall  equaling  that  of  cen- 
tral Oklahoma  and  Kansas,  northern  Iowa,  Michigan,  Northwest- 
ern New  York,  or  the  Puget  Sound  Basin  of  Washington.  But 
owing  to  its  northerly  location,  the  lessened  evaporation  probably 
makes  the  precipitation  as  effective  as  that  of  Arkansas,  Illinois, 
or  Virginia.” 

The  local  distribution  of  rainfall  varies,  however,  from  year  to 
year,  some  sections  receiving  more  rain  one  year,  and  other  sec- 
tions more  in  other  years.  The  variation  is  caused  largely  by  the 
movement  of  cyclonic  storms.  The  average  rainfall  for  the  en- 
tire state  during  the  driest  year  was  21.4  inches,  and  for  the 
wettest  year  37  inches. 

“Of  equal  importance,  in  agriculture,  to  the  total  rainfall,  is 
its  seasonal  distribution,  and  in  this  respect  Wisconsin  is  un- 
usually fortunate,  since  about  half  of  the  total  rainfall  comes 
in  May,  June,  July,  and  August,  and  nearly  70%  from  April  to 

♦This  chapter  has  been  taken  largely  from  Wisconsin  Bulletin  223 
on  The  Climate  of  Wisconsin  and  its  Relation  to  Agriculture.  This 
bulletin  should  be  consulted  if  more  information  is  desired  concerning 
climate.  All  quotations  indicated  are  taken  from  this  bulletin. 


70 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 


September,  inclusive.  June  has  the  heaviest  rainfall,  averaging 
4.1  inches,  while  July  averages  4 inches  and  May  3.9  inches. 
The  precipitation  during  the  winter,  on  the  other  hand  is  slight ; 
December,  January,  and  February  each  averaging  from  1 to  1.5 
inches  of  rain  and  melted  snow.  The  average  rainfall  for 
the  state  during  the  winter  is  3.9  inches,  during  spring  8.3 
inches,  during  summer  11.4  inches  and  during  autumn  7.4  inches. 
Most  of  the  rainfall  occurs  just  preceding  and  during  the 
period  of  plant  growth,  thus  being  received  by  the  crop  at  the 
most  effective  time.  Wisconsin  receives  during  the  growing  sea- 
son, April  to  September,  inclusive,  an  average  of  21  inches,  which 
is  as  much  rain  as  is  received  during  the  same  months  by  eastern 
Texas,  Illinois,  Ohio,  or  eastern  New  York.  The  small  winter 
precipitation  in  Wisconsin,  mostly  in  the  form  of  snow,  on  the 
other  hand,  causes  virtually  no  leaching  of  fertility  from  the  soil, 
or  erosion. 

Another  phase  of  rainfall  distribution  of  great  importance 
is  its  variation  within  a period  of  a few  weeks.  Frequently 
periods  of  drought  and  periods  of  unusually  heavy  rainfall  occur, 
continuing  for  from  one  to  four  weeks,  and  occasionally  longer. 
Observations  taken  at  Madison  over  a period  of  30  years,  from 
1882-1911,  inclusive,  show  that  there  are,  on  the  average,  three 
ten  day  periods  during  each  growing  season  when  the  amount 
of  rainfall  is  so  slight  that  crops  on  a reasonably  heavy  soil 
(Miami  silt  loam)  actually  suffer  from  the  lack  of  moisture. 

Buffalo  County  lies  partly  within  the  Mississippi  Valley  and 
partly  within  the  Southern  Highlands,  which  are  recognized  as 
forming  two  of  the  eight  climatic  provinces  in  Wisconsin.  The 
Mississippi  Valley  is  a rather  deep  depression,  the  warm  influence 
of  the  lower  altitude  being  apparent  from  Dubuque,  Iowa,  as 
far  north  as  Grantsburg,  Wis.  This  narrow  valley  is  much 
cooler  and  has  drier  winters  than  the  Lake  Michigan  shore.  The 
mean  summer  temperature  averages  about  78°  F.,  and  is  similar 
to  that  of  New  Jersey,  southeastern  Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  or 
southern  California.  The  mean  winter  temperature  in  the  north- 
ern part  of  this  valley  resembles  that  of  northern  Vermont, 
northern  Michigan,  or  eastern  Montana.  On  an  average  of  seven 
days  during  the  winter  the  thermometer  drops  to  -10°  F.  or 
lower,  while  during  summer  afternoons  a temperature  of  95° 
may  be  expected.  The  growing  season  in  this  valley  ranges  from 
150  to  175  days,  about  the  same  duration  as  that  of  the  Hudson 


CLIMATE 


71 


River  Valley,  nearly  all  of  Ohio,  the  northern  half  of  Illinois, 
western  Kansas,  or  the  Columbia  River  Valley. 

The  Southern  Highlands  includes  the  rough  and  rolling  region, 
generally  over  1,000  feet  in  elevation,  extending  from  Clark 
County  south  to  the  Illinois  line,  and  lying  between  the  Missis- 
sippi Valley  on  the  west  and  the  Wisconsin  and  Rock  River 
Valleys  on  the  east.  It  is  characterized  by  a cooler  temperature 
than  the  adjoining  valleys,  the  summer  temperature  (66°  to  29° 
F.)  being  similar  to  that  along  the  Michigan  shore,  while  the 
mean  winter  temperature  is  only  2°  higher  than  along  the 
Superior  shore.  The  growing  season,  averaging  145  days,  is 
apparently  20  to  30  days  shorter  than  on  the  lower  lands  of  the 
State  in  the  same  latitude,  while  in  the  river  valleys  and  ravines 
in  this  section  the  frost  danger  is  still  greater. 

The  first  of  the  following  tables  gives  the  mean  monthly  and 
annual  temperature  and  precipitation  at  Wabasha,  Minn.,  and 
at  Whitehall,  Wis.  Wabasha  is  situated  just  across  the  Missis- 
sippi River  from  Buffalo  County,  and  Whitehall  is  located  in 
Trempealeau  County,  which  borders  Buffalo  County  on  the  east. 

The  station  at  Wabasha  has  an  elevation  of  681  feet  above  sea 
level  and  the  station  at  Whitehall  is  675  feet  above  sea  level,  so 
that  these  records  indicate  the  weather  conditions  of  the  Missis- 
sippi Valley  and  the  Trempealeau  River  Valley  rather  than  of 
the  whole  region  surveyed.  The  greater  part  of  the  county  is 
from  200  to  400  feet  higher  than  the  river  valleys,  and  varies 
somewhat  in  the  length  of  growing  season,  as  indicated  above. 

The  second  table  gives  the  normal  monthly,  seasonal,  and 
annual  temperature  and  precipitation  and  the  average  dates  of 
first  and  last  killing  frosts  at  Eau  Claire,  about  14  miles  north 
of  the  north  county  line.  This  station  has  an  elevation  of  800 
feet.  A comparison  with  the  tables  from  the  other  points  men- 
tioned may  be  of  interest. 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY. 


( 


9 


NORMAL  MONTHLY  AND  ANNUAL  TEMPERATURE  AND  PRECIPITATION  AT 
WABASHA,  MINN.,  AND  WHITEHALL,  WIS. 


Month 

Wabasha,  Minn., 
14  years 

Whitehall,  Wis., 
17  years 

Tempera- 

ture 

Precipita- 

tion 

Tempera- 

ture 

Precipita- 

tion 

°F. 

Inches 

‘ °F. 

Inches 

December  

' 20.2 

1.19 

18.8 

1.84 

January  

14.4 

.99 

14.1 

.84 

February  

16.7 

.95 

14.2 

.96 

March  

30.5 

1.77 

30.5 

1.58 

April  

47.5 

2.52 

46.2 

2.41 

May  

59.3 

4.2S 

57.0 

4.06 

June  

67.8 

4.12 

66.2 

4.30 

July  

12.3 

3.54 

70.2 

3.45 

August  

70.0 

3.43 

68.3 

3.63 

Steptemb  r 

62.4 

3.56 

61.6 

3.80 

October  

49.7 

2.84 

49.2 

2.46 

November  

33.1 

1.56 

33.9 

1.39 

Annual  . 

45.3 

30.68 

44.2 

30.22 

NORMAL  MONTHLY,  SEASONAL,  AND  ANNUAL  TEMPERATURE  PRECIPITA- 
TION AT  EAU  CLAIRE,  EAU  CLAIRE  COUNTY 


Temperature 

Precipitation 

Month 

Mean 

Absolute 

maximum 

Absolute 

minimum 

Mean 

Total 
amount 
for  the 
driest 
year 

! Total 
amount 
for  the 
1 wettest 
year 

December 

°F. 

18.7 

13.1 

14.3 

°F. 

54 

°F. 
28 

Inches 

1.48 

Inches 

0.27 

0.32 

2.26 

Inches 

0.84 

0.32 

January 

54 

59 

— 34 

L03 

1.28 

February  

—40 

0.87 

Winter  

15.4 

3.76 

2.85 

2.03 

Ifarch  

8.7 

75 

—18 

2.04 

1 2.85 

2.10 

April  

45.6 

88 

11 

2.58 

222 

3.72 

May  

57.0 

94 

20 

4.37 

1.96 

7.03 

Spring  

43.8 

8.99 

7.03 

12.85 

June  

66.8 

97 

25 

4.66 

1.50 

2.44 

July  

70.7 

103 

41 

3.47 

1.27 

8.78 

August  

69.2 

98 

36 

3.26 

0.23 

5.C9 

Summer  

68.9 

11.39 

3.00 

16.31 

September  

61.1 

99 

.0 

10 

3.93 

3.22 

0.77 

5.13 

1.79 

9.12 

1.99 

October  

48.6 

86 

November  

32.1 

72 

—15 

1.67 

0.65 

Fall  

47.3 

8.82 

7.69 

11.76 

Year  

43.9 

103  * 

— 40 

32.16 

20.57 

42.95 

Average  date  of  first  killing  frost  in  autumn,  October  1;  of  last  in  spring,  May  10. 


CLIMATE 


72 


The  extremes  in  temperature  show  a wide  range.  The  highest 
ever  recorded  was  at  Wabasha,  where  105°  F.  was  reached,  while 
the  lowest  was  at  Whitehall,  where  a temperature  of  -46°  F.  was 
once  recorded.  Such  extremes  are  very  rare,  however,  and  of 
short  duration. 

Reference  to  the  following  figures  gives  the  length  of  growing 
season  in  Buffalo  County  as  compared  with  other  portions  of  the 
state. 

The  average  date  of  the  last  killing  frost  in  the  spring  at 
Wabasha  is  May  1 and  at  Whitehall  May  6.  The  average  date 
of  the  first  killing  frost  in  fall  at  Wabasha  is  October  5 and  at 
Whitehall  October  4.  This  gives  an  average  growing  season  at 
these  two  stations  of  approximately  150  to  155  days.  On  the 
higher  elevations  and  in  small  valleys  and  ravines  the  season  is 
somewhat  shorter  than  at  the  stations  where  the  records  were 
taken.  It  is  very  seldom,  however,  that  corn  is  damaged  by  early 
frosts,  even  where  the  growing  season  is  the  shortest.  At  Eau 
Claire  the  growing  season  appears  to  be  a few  days  shorter  than 
at  the  other  two  stations.  The  records  from  these  three  stations 
may  be  considered  as  representing  fairly  well  the  respective  por- 
tions of  Buffalo  County  having  about  the  same  elevations  as  the 
stations. 

Good  water  is  available  in  nearly  all  parts  of  the  county, 
though  on  the  higher  ridges  it  is  often  necessary  to  drill  to  con- 
siderable depths.  While  there  is  overflow  land  along  the  larger 
streams,  swamps  are  rare  and  healthful  atmospheric  conditions, 
prevail  throughout  the  region. 


74 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY 


FIGURE  2.  LAST  KILLING  FROST  IN  SPRING.  FIGURE  3.  FIRST  KILLING  FROST  IN  FALL. 


CLIMATE 


75 


SUMMARY 

Buffalo  County  is  situated  midway  along  the  west  State  line 
of  Wisconsin  and  comprises  687  square  miles,  or  439,680  acres. 
It  may  be  divided  broadly  into  two  divisions,  the  valleys  and 
the  uplands.  The  topography  of  the  valley  is  level  to  undulat- 
ing, becoming  gently  rolling  in  a few  places,  and  in  the  upland 
the  surface  is  gently  rolling  to  hilly.  The  slopes  are  usually 
steep  and  rocky.  On  the  ridge  tops  and  gentle  slopes  are  found 
the  most  extensive  areas  of  highly  developed  soil  in  the  county. 

The  first  settlements  in  the  territor}^  embraced  within  the 
county  were  made  between  1845  and  1850.  All  parts  of  the 
county  are  now  well  settled. 

Three  railroad  systems  enter  the  county,  and  these  with  the 
Mississippi  River  provide  adequate  transportation  facilities, 
except  for  interior  points.  Alma,  the  county  seat,  is  353  miles 
from  Chicago,  over  the  Chicago,  Burlington  & Quincy  Railroad, 
and  89  miles  from  Minneapolis. 

The  mean  annual  temperature  of  the  county  is  about  45°  F. 
and  the  mean  annual  precipitation  about  30.5  inches.  The 
length  of  the  growing  season  is  about  150  to  155  days. 

Over  practically  all  the  county  agriculture  is  well  developed 
and  prospering.  The  leading  type  of  agriculture  is  general 
farming,  with  dairying  as  the  main  feature.  The  crops  most 
extensively  grown  are  oats,  hay,  corn,  barley,  rye,  and  wheat. 
The  steep  slopes  afford  excellent  pasture  and  are  usually  kept 
in  grass  to  prevent  erosion. 

Buffalo  County  lies  within  the  unglaciated  portion  of  the 
State  and  the  soils  have  been  derived  largely  from  the  disin- 
tegration products  of  the  underlying  limestones,  shales,  and 
sandstone,  although  probably  there  has  been  influence  in  places 
by  wind-blown  material  or  loess,  and  from  the  material  washed 
down  from  the  slopes,  transported  by  the  streams,  and  deposited 
as  terrace  formations. 

Including  Rough  stony  land,  Peat,  and  the  Genessee  Soils, 
19  types  and  3 phases  of  soil  are  recognized  in  the  county. 

The  Knox  silt  loam,  with  its  steep  phase,  is  an  extensive  type 
and  is  found  throughout  the  upland  portion  of  the  county.  It 


76 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUFFALO  COUNTY 


is  a good  general  farming  soil  and  upon  it  dairying  is  carried  on 
quite  extensively.  It  produces  a better  quality  of  grain  than  any 
of  the  other  types. 

The  Waukesha  series  consists  of  dark-colored  terrace  soils, 
found  as  terraces  along  many  of  the  streams  throughout  the 
county.  This  series  includes  some  of  the  finest  agricultural  land 
in  the  county.  The  types  mapped  are  the  Waukesha  silt  loam, 
and  gravelly  sandy  loam. 

The  Boone  series  of  soils  is  derived  from  the  disintegration 
of  the  Potsdam  sandstone. 

The  Lintonia  series  forms  the  light-colored  terraces  through- 
out the  county,  but  is  not  very  extensively  developed.  The 
types  mapped  are  the  silt  loam,  fine  sandy  loam,  and  fine  sand. 
The  Lintonia  silt  loam  is  very  similar  to  the  Knox,  except  in 
topography  and  origin. 

The  Plainfield  series  of  terrace  soils  includes  the  sand  and 
fine  sandy  loam  found  along  the  Buffalo,  Chippewa,  and  Mis- 
sissippi Rivers.  The  fine  sandy  loam  is  used  for  general  farming, 
farming. 

The  Bates  series  is  similar  to  the  Boone,  but  the  soils  are 
black  instead  of  light  colored.  The  types  mapped  include  some 
of  the  best  soil  in  the  county.  The  Bates  silt  loam  and  fine  sandy 
loam  are  recognized  and  mapped  as  belonging  to  this  series. 

Peat  comprises  areas  of  partially  decomposed  vegetable  matter 
which  occupy  low,  poorly  drained  positions,  chiefly  along 
streams.  This  soil  is  rather  inextensive  in  Buffalo  County. 

Rough  stony  land  includes  rock  exposures,  cliffs,  and  land 
which  is  too  steep  and  rough  to  cultivate  profitably.  It  is  only 
of  value  for  the  small  amount  of  timber  and  pasture  it  supplies. 

The  Genessee  soils  include  a fine  sandy  loam,  silt  loam  and 
silty  clay  loam.  Soils  on  flood  plains  of  streams  and  subject 
to  occasional  or  frequent  over  flow  make  up  this  series. 


KEEP  THE  MAP 


The  Experiment  Station  will  publish  bulletins  from  time  to 
time  dealing  with  the  management  of  the  different  types  mapped, 
so  that  some  way  should  be  found  by  each  person  receiving  a 
copy  of  this  report  to  keep  the  map  permanently.  If  the  map  is 
folded  in  such  a way  as  to  have  the  part  you  are  interested  in  of 
a convenient  size,  and  then  have  a simple  frame  with  glass  made 
to  hold  it,  it  can  be  kept  indefinitely.  Since  some  of  the  colors 
fade  after  being  exposed  to  strong  light  for  a long  time,  it  would 
be  a good  plan  to  have  a protecting  flap  of  dark  cloth  over  the 
map  when  not  in  use. 


WISCONSIN  GEOLOGICAL  AND  NATURAL  HISTORY  SURVEY 

W.  O.  HOTCHKISS,  Director  and  State  Geologist. 

A.  R.  WHITSON,  In  Charge,  Division  of  Soils. 

SOIL  SURVEY  IN  COOPERATION  WITH  THE  COLLEGE  OF  AGRICULTURE 

H.  L.  RUSSELL,  Dean. 


BULLETIN  NO.  54B 


SOIL  SERIES  NO.  24 


SOIL  SURVEY 

OF 

JACKSON  COUNTY 

WISCONSIN 


BY 


A.  R.  WHITSON,  W.  J.  GEIB,  AND  T.  J.  DUNNEWALD  OF  THE 
WISCONSIN  GEOLOGICAL  AND  NATURAL  HISTORY,  SURVEY, 
AND  A.  L.  GOODMAN,  G.  W.  MUSGRAVE  AND  C.  B. 
CLEVENGER  OF  THE  U.  S.  DEPARTMENT  OF 
. AGRICULTURE,  BUREAU  OF  SOILS. 


SURVEY  CONDUCTED  IN  COOPERATION  WITH  THE  UNITED 
STATES  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE, 

BUREAU  OF  SOILS, 

MILTON  WHITNEY,  CHIEF. 

CURTIS  F.  MARBUT,  IN  CHARGE  SOIL  SURVEY 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE  STATE 
MADISON,  WISCONSIN 
1923 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


Page 

Table  of  Contents 3 

Illustrations  5 

Introduction  7 

Soil  Classification  9 

CHAPTER  I. 

General  Description  of  the  Area 11 

Soils  15 

CHAPTER  II. 

Group  of  Heavy  Soils 19 

Knox  silt  loam 19 

Knox  silt  loam,  steep  phase 23 

Lintonia  silt  loam 24 

Bates  silt  loam..... 26 

Vesper  silt  loam 27 

Chemical  composition  and  improvement  of  heavy  soils 28 

CHAPTER  III. 

Group  of  Medium  Heavy  Soils 31 

Boone  loam  31 

Boone  fine  sandy  loam 32 

Vesper  fine  sandy  loam 34 

Chemical  composition  and  improvement  of  medium  heavy  soils  36 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Group  of  Sandy  Soils 37 

Boone  fine  sand 37 

Boone  fine  sand,  level  phase 38 

Boone  fine  sand,  low  phase  poorly  drained 40 

Plainfield  sand  41 

Plainfield  fine  sand  43 

Plainfield  sandy  loam  44 

Vesper  sandy  loam 44 

Chemical  composition  and  fertility  of  sandy  soils 45 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  V. 

Group  of  Soils  Lacking  Good  Drainage 48 

Dunning  sand  48 

Genesee  fine  sandy  loam 49 

Genesee  silt  loam 50 

Wabash  loam  51 

Wabash  silt  loam 51 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Miscellaneous  Soils  53 

Peat  53 

Chemical  composition  and  fertility  of  peat 57 

Rough  stony  land 60 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Agriculture  of  Jackson  County 62 

Types  of  farming 62 

Cultural  methods  63 

Rotation  of  crops 64 

Erosion  68 

Drainage  70 

Liming  71 

The  use  of  fertilizers 73 

Farm  products  and  agricultural  statistics 76 

Agricultural  history  79 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Climate  80 

Summary  83 


U 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


PLATES  AND  FIGURES. 

Page 

Plate  I.  View  showing  typical  crops  and  topography  on  Knox 

silt  loam  22 

Binding  grain  on  rolling  portion  of  Knox  silt  loam. ...  22 

Plate  II.  View  of  Wildcat  Mound 32 

Topography  and  vegetation  typical  of  Boone  fine  sandy 
loam  32 

Plate  III.  View  showing  topography  and  vegetation  in  sand  and 

marsh  country  in  eastern  part  of  Jackson  county  42 
View  of  corn  on  Plainfield  sand 42 

Plate  IV.  Clover  growing  successfully  on  Plainfield  sand 46 

Field  of  rye  on  Plainfield  sand  at  Hancock,  Wis 46 

Plate  V.  View  of  buildings  on  Experimental  Farm  at  Han- 
cock, Wis 64 

Alfalfa  on  Plainfield  sand  on  Experimental  Farm  at 
Hancock  64 

Figure  1.  Sketch  map  showing  areas  surveyed 12 

Figure  2.  Map  showing  length  of  growing  season  in  the  state....  80 

Soil  Map  Attached  to  back  cover 


INTRODUCTION 


Before  the  greatest  success  in  agriculture  can  be  reached  it  is 
necessary  that  the  farmer  should  have  a thorough  knowledge  of 
the  soil  upon  his  own  farm.  A soil  may  be  well  adapted  to  one 
crop,  and  poorly  adapted  to  another  crop.  Clover  will  produce 
a vigorous  growth  and  profitable  yields  on  the  average  loam  soil 
„ which  contains  lime  and  is  in  a sweet  condition ; but  on  a sandy 
soil  which  is  sour,  or  in  an  acid  condition,  clover  will  not  make 
a satisfactory  growth.  We  may  say,  therefore,  that  failure  is 
certain  to  be  invited  when  such  important  facts  are  disregarded, 
or  overlooked.  The  degree  of  success  which  it  is  possible  to  win 
on  any  farm  is  in  direct  proportion  to  the  practical  knowledge 
possessed  by  the  farmer  concerning  the  soil  and  its  adaptation 
to  crops.  A thorough  knowledge  of  the  soil  is  as  essential  to 
the  farmer  as  a knowledge  of  merchandise  and  business  methods 
is  to  the  merchant. 

The  State  of  Wisconsin,  working  in  cooperation  with  the 
United  States  Department  of  Agriculture,  is  making  a careful 
study  of  soils  and  agricultural  conditions  throughout  Wisconsin, 
and  is  preparing  soil  maps  and  soil  reports  of  all  counties  in 
the  State.  A soil  map  shows  the  location  and  extent  of  the  dif- 
ferent kinds  of  soil.  Tracts  of  10  acres  and  over  are  mapped, 
but  often  areas  of  even  smaller  extent  are  shown.  The  soil  map 
is  prepared  by  trained  men,  who  go  over  a county  thoroughly, 
and  examine  the  soil  by  making  a sufficient  number  of  borings 
to  a depth  of  36  inches  to  keep  account  of  all  variations.  A re- 
port is  also  made,  to  accompany  and  explain  the  map,  and  this 
is  based  upon  a careful  study  of  the  soils  within  the  region  sur- 
veyed, and  upon  such  other  features  as  have  a direct  bearing 
upon  the  agriculture  of  the  area. 

It  is  the  object  of  this  survey  to  make  an  inventory  of  the 
soils  of  the  State,  and  to  be  of  practical  help  to  farmers  by  lo- 
cating and  describing  the  different  soils,  by  determining  their 
physical  character  and  chemical  composition,  and  by  offering 
suggestions  for  their  management,  based  upon  the  work  of  the 


8 


INTRODUCTION 


Soil  Survey  within  the  area,  covered  in  the  report,  and  upon 
the  results  of  field  tests  made  by  the  Experiment  Station. 

Soil  fertility  depends  upon  two  factors : First,  upon  the  phys- 
ical characteristics  of  the  soil,  such  as  water  holding  capacity, 
workability,  etc.,  and  second,  upon  the  chemical  composition  of 
the  material  composing  the  soil.  The  chemical  composition  de- 
pends upon  the  mode  of  origin  of  the  soil,  and  the  source  of 
material  from  which  the  soil  is  derived. 

Water  holding  capacity  and  other  physical  properties  of  soil 
all  depend  chiefly  upon  texture , which  refers  to  the  size  of  the 
individual  soil  grains,  or  particles.  A coarse  sandy  soil,  for  ex- 
ample, will  not  retain  moisture  so  long  as  a loam  soil,  or  clay 
loam,  because  the  finer  the  soil  grains,  the  greater  will  be  the 
total  soil-grain  surface  area  to  which  moisture  may  adhere. 

Texture  is  determined  in  the  field  by  rubbing  the  soil  between 
the  thumb  and  fingers,  and  with  experience  one  soon  becomes 
expert  at  judging  the  size  of  soil  grains.  This  field  judgment 
is  verified  in  the  laboratory  by  a mechanical  analysis,  which  is 
made  by  a simple  method  of  separating  soil  grains  into  different 
groups,  of  which  there  are  seven.  These  are  known  as  clay,  silt, 
very  fine  sand,  fine  sand,  medium  sand,  coarse  sand  and  fine 
gravel. 

A chemical  analysis  is  also  made  of  the  soil  to  determine  the 
amounts  of  various  essential  plant-food  elements  which  are  pres- 
ent. A chemical  analysis  shows  whether  the  soil  contains  a 
large  store  of  plant  food,  or  only  a small  quantity,  and  it  indi- 
cates which  kinds  of  plant  food  will  probably  be  needed  first. 
The  amount  of  organic  matter  in  the  soil  is  also  determined, 
and  tests  are  made  to  show  conditions  relative  to  soil  acidity. 


INTRODUCTION 


9 


SOIL  CLASSIFICATION. 

Soils  are  grouped  according  to  texture  into  soil  classes,  a soil 
class  being  made  up  of  soils  having  the  same  texture,  though 
differing  in  other  respects.  A fine  sand,  for  example,  may  be 
light  colored  and  of  alluvial  origin,  while  another  fine  sand  may 
be  dark  in  color  and  of  residual  origin,  while  a third  fine  sand 
may  have  been  blown  into  sand  dunes  by  the  wind,  yet  all  of 
these  soils  would  belong  to  the  same  class,  because  the  greater 
proportion  of  the  soil  grains  have  the  same  size  or  texture.  Thus 
we  may  have  different  kinds  of  clays,  loams,  sands,  etc.,  and  the 
class  to  which  any  soil  will  belong  depends  upon  the  size  of  the 
individual  soil  grains  of  which  it  is  composed,  and  not  upon  its 
color,  origin,  topographic  position,  or  agricultural  value. 


SOIL  CLASSES 

Soils  Containing  Less  Than  20%  Silt  and  Clay 

Coarse  sand. — Over  25%  fine  gravel  and  coarse  sand,  and  less  than  50% 
of  any  other  grade  of  sand. 

Sand. — Over  25%  fine  gravel,  coarse  and  medium  sand,  and  less  than 
50%  fine  sand. 

Fine  sand. — Over  50%  fine  sand,  or  less  than  25%  fine  gravel,  coarse 
and  medium  sand. 

Very  fine  sand. — Over  50%  very  fine  sand. 

Soils  Containing  Between  20-50%  of  Silt  and  Clay 

Sandy  loam. — Over  25%  fine  gravel,  coarse  and  medium  sand. 

Fine  sandy  loam. — Over  50%  fine  sand,  or  less  than  25%  fine  gravel,  coarse 
and  medium  sand. 

Sandy  clay. — Less  than  20%  silt. 

Soils  Containing  Between  20-50%  of  Silt  and  Clay 

Loam. — Less  than  20%  clay,  and  less  than  50%  silt. 

Silt  loam. — Less  than  20%  clay,  and  over  50%  silt. 

Clay  loam. — Between  20  and  30%  clay,  and  less  than  50%  silt. 

Silty  clay  loam. — Between  20  and  30%  clay,  and  over  50%  silt. 

Clay. — Over  30%  clay. 

Soils  may  be  grouped  in  another  way.  Where  soils  are  closely 
related  through  similar  sources  of  the  material  from  which  de- 
rived, mode  of  origin,  topographic  position,  etc.,  so  that  the  dif- 
ferent soils  constitute  merely  a graduation  in  texture  of  other- 
wise uniform  material,  such  a group  is  called  a soil  series.  It 
corresponds  to  the  family  which  is  made  up  of  different  indi- 
viduals having  the  same  parentage.  The  Miami  series,  for  ex- 


10 


INTRODUCTION 


ample,  includes  light  colored,  glacial  material  where  the  soils 
have  been  derived  largely  from  the  underlying  limestone,  and 
the  soils  in  the  series  range  in  texture  from  a clay  loam  to 
sandy  and  gravelly  loams.  The  name  used  for  a soil  series  usually 
indicates  the  locality  where  that  particular  series  was  first  recog- 
nized and  mapped  by  the  Soil  Survey.  By  uniting  the  soil  class 
with  the  soil  series  we  get  the  soil  type  which  is  the  basis 
or  unit  of  classifying  and  mapping  soils.  A soil  type  thus,  is 
a soil  which  is  uniform  throughout  its  entire  extent  in  texture, 
color,  topographic  position,  and  other  physical  properties,  and 
having  a distinct  agricultural  unity,  that  is,  being  adapted  to 
the  same  crops,  and  requiring  the  same  treatment.  It  is  also 
uniform  in  the  source  of  material  from  which  it  is  derived,  and 
the  mode  of  origin  which,  taken  together,  determine  the  chemical 
composition.  Since  the  soil  type  is  the  unit  in  classifying  and 
mapping  soils,  and  the  basis  upon  which  experimental  work 
should  be  conducted,  every  farmer  should  be  familiar  with  the 
soil  types  on  his  farm,  and  their  leading  characteristics. 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY 
WISCONSIN 


CHAPTER  I 

DESCRIPTION  OF  AREA 

Location  and  boundaries. — Jackson  county  is  located  in  the 
west  central  part  of  Wisconsin,  and  has  an  area  of  approxi- 
mately 978  square  miles  or  625,920  acres.  It  is  bounded  on  the 
north  by  Clark  and  Eau  Claire  counties,  on  the  east  by  Wood 
and  Juneau,  on  the  south  by  Monroe  and  La  Crosse,  and  on  the 
west  by  Trempealeau  county.  It  has  an  extreme  length  east 
and  west  of  forty-two  miles.  The  eastern  portion  of -the  county 
is  only  eighteen  miles  wide,  while  the  western  two  tiers  of 
townships  give  the  county  a width  of  thirty-six  miles. 

Topography. — The  surface  features  of  the  Jackson  county 
fall  into  two  very  distinct  divisions.  The  approximate  boundary 
between  the  different  zones  is  marked  by  the  Black  River  from 
the  southwestern  corner  of  the  county  to  a point  three  miles 
north  of  Black  River  Falls.  From  this  point  northward,  the 
Chicago  and  Northwestern  Railway  Line  marks  the  dividing 
line.  The  county  to  the  west  consists  of  a series  of  valleys 
and  narrow  ridges  which  give  the  region  a hilly  to  broken  to- 
pography. To  the  east  the  surface  is  nearly  level. 

Geological  History. — In  the  early  geological  history  of  the 
region  there  was  a smooth  initial  surface  underlaid  by  lime- 
stone, with  sandstone  in  turn  beneath  it.  The  lower  Magnesian 
limestone  which  originally  covered  this  region  has  practically 
all  been  removed  by  erosion,  and  remnants  of  the  elevated  plain- 
like surface  have  been  reduced  by  weathering  and  erosion  to 
very  narrow,  winding  irregular  ridges  on  which  the  outcroppings 
of  sandstone  are  frequent.  In  but  few  cases  in  the  county  is 
there  any  tillable  land  on  the  narrow  crest  of  these  high  ridges. 


12 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY 


The  headward  streams  from  one  drainage  system  have  inter- 
locked with  adjacent  systems  so  that  the  divides  are  crooked, 
rocky  ridges.  This  gives  the  west  half  of  the  county  a rolling, 
rugged  appearance,  the  greatest  irregularity  of  surface  being 
along  the  western  extremity  of  the  county  and  becoming  less 
pronounced  going  eastward  to  the  Black  River. 

The  eastern  portion  of  the  county  consists  of  a very  extensive 
sandy  plainlike  region  where  the  surface  is  nearly  level  and 
from  the  floor  of  which  there  arise  numerous  cliffs  of  sandstone 
more  resistant  than  the  bulk  of  the  underlying  rock.  These 
mounds  form  a conspicuous  feature  of  the  landscape. 


FIG.  1.  SKETCH  MAP  SHOWING  AREAS  SURVEYED  IN  THE  STATE. 

Much  of  the  eastern  portion  of  the  county  within  this  sandy 
plain  is  low  and  poorly  drained,  and  includes  extensive  marsh 
areas  made  up  largely  of  peat.  These  marshy  areas  are  most 
extensive  in  the  extreme  eastern  tier  of  townships  where  over 
from  75  to  80  percent  of  the  land  area  is  marsh. 

Throughout  the  marshy  tracts  and  w7ithin  the  regions  where 
shale  layers  occur  with  the  sandstone  as  well  as  along  the  first 
bottoms  of  streams,  the  natural  drainage  is  deficient.  Else- 
where the  natural  drainage  is  good. 

Water  courses. — The  Black  River  which  enters  the  county 
near  the  center  of  the  north  side  and  leaves  at  the  southwest 


DESCRIPTION  OF  AREA. 


13 


corner,  receives  the  drainage  waters  from  the  greater  part  of 
the  area.  From  the  east  it  receives  the  drainage  waters  from 
the  East  Fork  of  the  Black  River,  Morrison  Creek,  Perry  Creek, 
Robinson  Creek  and  others,  while  from  the  west  it  receives 
Halls  Creek,  Town  Creek,  Roaring  Creek,  and  Douglas  Creek. 
The  extreme  western  border  of  the  county  drains  westward 
chiefly  through  tributaries  of  the  Trempealeau  and  Beef  Rivers 
into  the  Mississippi.  From  the  southeastern  portion  of  the 
county  some  of  the  drainage  water  reaches  the  Wisconsin  River 
through  the  Lemonweir  River  and  its  tributaries. 

Settlement . — The  first  settlement  in  Jackson  county  was 
made  in  1818  or  1819  when  a saw  mill  was  erected  on  Town 
Creek,  but  this  was  not  permanent.  The  Indians  did  not  cede 
away  their  right  to  the  region  until  1838,  and  in  1839  the  first 
permanent  settlement  was  made  on  the  present  site  of  Black 
River  Falls.  The  Mormons  bought  a mill  here  in  1843  which 
they  operated  for  part  of  two  years.  Later  a Mormon  settle- 
ment was  established  at  Knapp  in  the  country  to  the  east  of 
Millston.  Jackson  County  was  established  in  1853,  and  the  vil- 
lage of  Black  River  Falls  was  incorporated  in  1866. 

Black  River  Falls,  with  a population  1,796  in  1920,  is  the 
county  seat  of  Jackson  county  and  also  the  largest  city.  It  is 
situated  on  the  Black  River  near  the  center  of  the  county,  and 
is  a distributing  center,  market  and  shipping  point  for  a large 
territory.  Merrillan,  Hixton,  Taylor,  Hatfield,  Pray,  and  Mill- 
ston are  smaller  railroad  towns.  In  1920  Jackson  county  had 
a population  of  17,746. 

Railways. — Two  railway  systems  traverse  the  county.  The 
Chicago  and  Northwestern  Line  crosses  the  area  from  the  south- 
east to  the  northwest  passing  through  Millston,  Black  River 
Falls,  and  Merrillan.  From  Merrillan  a branch  runs  northeast 
through  Neillsville,  Marshfield,  and  Wausau,  to  Green  Bay. 
From  Fairchild,  just  above  the  north  county  line  a branch  ex- 
tends west  to  Mondovi  in  Buffalo  county.  The  Green  Bay  and 
Western  Railway  crosses  the  county  from  east  to  west  passing 
through  Pray,  Hatfield,  Merrillan,  Hixton,  and  Taylor.  The 
southwestern  corner  of  the  county  is  more  remote  from  railroad 
facilities  than  any  other  section  of  the  area,  but  this  has  not 
prevented  the  development.  In  fact  this  is  one  of  the  best  im- 
proved and  most  highly  prosperous  farming  communities  in  the 


14 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY 


county,  and  centers  about  the  inland  town  of  Melrose  which  is 
connected  with  Black  River  Falls  by  stage. 

Highways. — The  main  dirt  roads  throughout  the  western  part 
of  the  county  are  usually  graded  and  kept  in  good  condition,  as 
the  predominating  soil  material  usually  makes  a good  roadbed, 
but  hills  are  numerous  and  grades  are  frequently  steep ; so 
heavy  hauling  is  difficult.  Throughout  the  sandy  portion  of 
the  county  most  of  the  roads  are  very  sandy,  but  in  some  in- 
stances shale  or  clay,  where  available,  has  been  used  in  improving 
the  highways  with  very  satisfactory  results. 

Other  improvements. — At  Hatfield  there  is  a large  dam  across 
the  Black  River  just  above  the  rapids,  and  this  forms  an  exten- 
sive reservoir  known  as  Lake  Arbutus.  A power  house  is  located 
several  miles  south  of  the  dam,  and  from  here  the  electric  power 
is  carried  over  high  tension  transmission  lines  to  La  Crosse 
and  other  points. 

Nearly  all  parts  of  the  county  are  supplied  with  rural  free 
delivery  service,  and  telephones  are  in  common  use. 

Markets. — The  towns  within  the  area  afford  markets  and  ship- 
ping points  for  the  farm  produce  raised.  From  Black  River 
Falls  to  Madison,  it  is  127  miles  and  to  Milwaukee  209  miles. 
It  is  250  miles  to  Chicago,  and  152  miles  to  Minneapolis,  Minne- 
sota. 

Farm  equipment. — The  farm  buildings  and  equipment  in  the 
Knox  silt  loam  and  Boone  fine  sandy  loam  and  loam  country 
are  generally  modern  and  up  to  date  in  all  ways.  In  the  vicinity 
of  Melrose  and  the  north  side  of  the  Trempealeau  River  valley, 
large  barns  and  silos,  electric  lights  and  water  supply  systems 
are  common.  A number  of  farms  use  tractors,  although  the 
amount  of  steep  and  rough  land  precludes  the  use  of  some  types 
of  tractors  for  field  work. 

In  the  more  sandy  districts,  farm  buildings  are  generally 
less  pretentious,  occasional  abandoned  farms  are  seen,  and 
equipment  and  machinery  are  of  a less  complete  order.  Al- 
though there  are  sometimes  very  good  buildings  and  equipment 
on  sandy  farms,  the  general  condition  of  these  is  usually  a fair 
indication  as  to  the  fertility  of  the  soil  or  the  profitable  nature 
of  the  farming  done. 


DESCRIPTION  OF  AREA 


15 


Farm  tenure  and  labor. — Of  the  2577  farms  is  Jackson  county 
reported  by  the  United  States  census  of  1920,  the  greatest  num- 
ber, 991,  lie  between  100  to  175  acres  in  size,  622  farms  were 
50  to  99  acres  in  size,  and  425  were  175  to  260  acres  in  size. 
Moderate  to  large  size  farms  are  the  rule,  although  where 
special  crops  are  grown  exclusively  the  farms  are  often  much 
smaller.  86.3  per  cent  of  the  farms  are  operated  by  owners, 
12.7  per  cent  by  tenants,  and  1 per  cent  by  managers. 

Labor  on  farms  is  generally  American  born,  obtained  from 
the  immediate  locality.  Prewar  wages  were  from  $30  to  $40 
per  month  with  board,  although  during  the  last  few  seasons  as 
much  as  two  times  this  price  has  been  paid  due  to  war  condi- 
tions. In  general,  farm  help  is  scarce  and  the  special  crops  such 
as  tobacco  and  cucumbers  have  been  reduced  in  acreage  on  many 
farms  because  of  the  labor  shortage. 

Land  values. — Farm  land  ranges  greatly  in  price.  The  best 
land  in  the  well  developed  Knox  silt  loam  country  often  sells  for 
$100  to  $200  an  acre,  and  an  occasional  wooded  poorly  located 
piece  can  be  bought  for  $35  to  $40.  In  the  east  half  and  the 
sandy  districts,  wild  land  may  be  had  for  $5  to  $20  per  acre 
and  partly  developed  land  for  from  $20  to  $40  per  acre.  Values 
in  all  parts  of  the  county  vary  greatly  depending  upon  location, 
lay  of  the  land,  improvements,  soil,  and  the  manner  in  which 
fertility  has  been  kept  up.  The  producing  capacity  of  farms 
in  each  district  varies  even  on  the  same  soil  according  to  the 
methods  followed,  and  the  personal  equasion  of  the  farmer  must 
always  be  considered  in  passing  upon  the  value  of  a farm. 

SOILS 

J ackson  county  lies  almost  entirely  within  the  unglaciated  por- 
tion of  Wisconsin,  and  in  its  geological  formations,  soil  condi- 
tions, and  topography,  it  is  representative  of  large  areas  in  the 
central  and  southwestern  parts  of  the  state. 

Throughout  nearly  all  of  the  county  the  uppermost  rock  con- 
sists of  Potsdam  sandstone.  Over  the  western  portion  of  the 
area  this  rock  outcrops  in  numerous  places  forming  the  steep 
rocky  slopes  of  valley  walls,  isolated  mounds  or  long  narrow 
ridges  where  the  rock  has  been  more  resistant  to  processes  of 
weathering.  In  the  eastern  portion  of  the  county  there  are  also 


16 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY 


numerous  isolated  mounds  of  sandstone  which,  as  indicated  else- 
where, form  a conspicuous  feature  of  the  landscape. 

The  outcrops  of  this  rock  determine  the  classification,  and 
make  up  a considerable  portion  of  the  type  mapped  as  Rough 
Stony  Land. 

Granitic  rocks  form  the  bed  rock  formation  along  the  Black 
River  from  Black  River  Falls  north.  In  the  immediate  vicinity 
of  City  Point,  in  the  extreme  eastern  part  of  the  county,  the 
surface  rock  is  also  granite. 

From  the  standpoint  of  soils,  the  whole  county  may  be  con- 
sidered as  being  unglaciated,  but  along  the  extreme  northern  bor- 
der of  the  county,  there  are  various  indications  of  glaciation. 
These  are  chiefly  glacial  bowlders  and  gravel  in  places.  No 
pronounced  moraine  is  found  there.  The  glaciation  repre- 
sented is  Pre- Wisconsin,  and  because  of  its  extreme  age  and 
that  its  action  along  the  southern  border  was  very  feeble,  the 
influence  on  the  present-day  soils  is  not  sufficient  to  recognize 
in  our  soil  classification  of  Jackson  county. 

The  surface  of  nearly  all  of  the  western  portion  of  the  county 
is  covered  to  a depth  of  from  less  than  two  feet  to  over  ten  feet, 
with  a mantle  of  extremely  silty  material  which  is  undoubtedly 
loess.  It  is  extremely  silty  at  the  surface,  the  clay  content  grad- 
ually increasing  with  depth,  and  in  cuts  a laminated  structure 
is  often  observed.  This  material  is  supposed  to  have  been  de- 
posited by  action  of  the  wind,  following  early  glacial  periods. 
It  is  extremely  fine  in  texture  having  a smooth  feel  like  flour. 

At  one  time  this  entire  western  portion  of  the  county  was 
doubtless  covered  with  this  material,  which  has  been  removed 
by  erosion  in  places,  especally  where  the  deposit  was  thin,  and 
the  underlying  sandy  material  or  sand  rock  was  exposed. 

In  the  survey  of  Jackson  County,  the  various  soil  forming 
materials  have  been  classified  into  ten  soil  series  and  nineteen 
soil  types,  not  including  peat  and  rough  stony  land.  In  a num- 
ber of  instances  phases  of  types  have  been  recognized.  The  soil 
series,  which  correspond  to  the  family  groups,  are  not  shown 
on  the  map,  which  accompanies  this  report,  and  the  series  are 
described  here  only  briefly.  The  individual  soil  types,  however, 
are  shown  on  the  map,  each  being  indicated  by  a distinct  color. 
It  is  the  soil  types  in  which  we  are  especially  interested  since 
the  type  is  the  unit  in  mapping  and  classifying  soils.  Following 
is  a complete  list  of  the  soil  types  mapped  in  the  county,  and 


DESCRIPTION  OF  AREA. 


17 


the  series  or  family  group  to  which  each  type  belongs.  Follow- 
ing this  general  discussion  of  the  soils  will  be  found  a full  and 
detailed  description  of  all  of  the  types,  together  with  statements 
covering  the  present  uses  of  the  soils  and  methods  through  which 
each  type  can  be  best  improved. 

The  soil  derived  in  part  from  the  loessial  blanket  and  partly 
from  decomposed  shale  has  been  classified  as  Knox  silt  loam. 
This  is  the  most  extensive  soil  in  southwestern  Wisconsin.  No 
other  type  was  mapped  in  this  series. 

Along  stream  valleys  throughout  the  western  part  of  the 
county,  some  terraces  or  benches  occur  where  the  soil  is  rather 
heavy,  and  where  it  has  been  derived  from  the  uplands  and  re- 
deposited by  water.  There  soils  are  of  the  Lintonia  series,  and 
include  the  silt  loam  only. 

The  Bates  series  comprises  dark-colored  upland  soils  in  the 
loessial  region  where  the  original  timber  was  thin  or  sparce  and 
where  a semi-prairie  condition  prevailed.  The  silt  loam  was 
the  only  type  mapped. 

In  the  stream  bottoms  of  the  western  part  of  the  county  where 
the  soils  are  dark-colored  and  rather  heavy  in  texture,  the  Wa- 
bash series  has  been  mapped.  The  types  Wabash  silt  loam  and 
loam  were  found. 

On  many  of  the  slopes  in  western  Jackson  County  and  over 
extensive  tracts  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  area,  the  material 
forming  the  soil  has  been  derived  directly  from  the  weathering 
of  the  Potsdam  sandstone.  This  material  has  been  classified  as 
the  Boone  series,  and  the  types  Boone  loam,  fine  sandy  loam,  fine 
sand,  with  several  phases  were  indicated  on  the  soil  map. 

In  a number  of  places,  especially  in  the  north  central  and 
northeastern  portions  of  the  county  the  Potsdam  sandstone 
has  a shaly  phase  associated  with  it,  and  from  the  weathering 
of  this  material  has  come  the  Vesper  series  of  soils.  The  sur- 
face is  level,  the  soils  are  shallow  over  the  shaly  rock,  and 
usually  contain  varying  amounts  of  clayey  material  in  the  sub- 
soil from  the  shale,  which  makes  a tight  subsoil  and  poor  drain- 
age. The  types  mapped  are  Vesper  silt  loam,  fine  sandy  loam, 
and  sandy  loam. 

Along  Black  River  and  its  tributaries  are  extensive  tracts  of 
alluvial  land  now  found  as  terraces  well  above  present  flood 
flow.  The  soil  is  light-colored  and  light  in  texture,  and  has 


18 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY 


been  classified  as  the  Plainfield  series.  The  types  mapped  are 
Plainfield  sandy  loam,  sand,  and  fine  sand. 

Throughout  the  eastern  portion  of  the  county  are  numerous 
areas  of  marsh  border  soil  which  are  dark-colored,  low-lying, 
and  naturally  poorly  drained,  and  where  the  soils  are  of  a sandy 
nature,  partly  residual  and  partly  alluvial,  and  aways  acid. 
These  soils  are  placed  in  the  Dunning  series,  and  have  been 
classed  as  Dunning  sand. 

The  first  bottom  light-colored  soils  subject  to  annual  flooding 
have  been  classified  as  Genesse,  and  the  types  silt  loam,  fine  sandy 
loam,  and  fine  sand  were  mapped.  Extensive  areas  of  peat  were 
also  mapped,  and  this  consists  of  decaying  vegetable  matter  in 
various  stages  of  decomposition,  with  which  there  is  mixed  a 
small  amount  of  fine  earth,  but  seldom  enough  to  permit  the 
use  of  the  term  Muck. 

The  following  table  shows  the  actual  and  relative  extent  of 
each  soil  type,  and  in  the  following  pages  of  this  report  each  type 
is  fully  described. 

Areas  of  Different  Soils 


Soil 

Acres 

Per  cent 

Boone  fine  sand 

111,744 

Level  phase 

14,656 

20.1 

Poorly  drained  phase.. 

2,176 

Knox  silt  loam 

73,920 

18.9 

Steep  phase 

47,296 

Peat  

89,536 

15.7 

Shallow  phase 

10,752 

Boone  fine  sandy  loam 

54,400 

8.5 

Rough  stony  land 

42,496 

6.6 

Vesper  fine  sandy  loam— 

40,000 

6.2 

Dunning  sand 

37,888 

5.9 

Plainfield  sand 

35,136 

5.5 

Soil 

Acres 

Per  cent 

Boone  loam i 

22,400 

3.5 

Plainfield  fine  sand 

18,880 

2.9 

Wabash  silt  loam 

7,808 

1.2 

Wabash  loam 

7,488 

1.2 

Genesee  silt  loam 

7,296 

1.1 

Vesper  silt  loam } 

4,800 

.8 

Genesee  fine  sandy  loam 

3,072 

.5 

Bates  silt  loam 

2.624 

.4 

Lintonia  silt  loam 

2,368 

.4 

Vesper  sandy  loam 1 

2,308 

.4 

Plainfield  sandy  loam.. 

1,536 

.2 

Total 

640,640 

GROUP  OF  HEAVY  SOILS . 


19 


CHAPTER  II 

GROUP  OF  HEAVY  SOILS 

KNOX  SILT  LOAM 

Extent  and  distribution—  The  Knox  silt  loam  all  lies  west 
of  the  Black  River.  This  is  an  important  and  extensive  type 
of  soil  in  Jackson  County,  the  towns  of  Melrose,  Franklin,  Gar- 
den Valley,  Albion,  Irving,  Currian,  and  Northfield  being  made 
up  largely  of  it. 

Description. — The  surface  soil  of  the  Knox  silt  loam  consists 
of  twelve  inches  of  a grayish-brown  or  buff-colored  silt  loam, 
having  a friable  structure  and  a smooth  feel.  While  there  is 
present  a small  percentage  of  fine  and  very  fine  sand,  but  few 
coarser  grains  are  found.  The  lower  portion  of  the  soil  usually 
is  of  a yellowish  color,  but  on  drying,  the  surface  becomes  ashen 
in  appearance.  As  a whole,  the  texture  of  the  material  is  very 
uniform,  but  varies  somewhat  in  depth.  The  subsoil  consists 
of  a heavy,  yellow  silt  loam,  grading  into  a silty  clay  loam  at 
eighteen  to  twenty  inches,  and  usually  becoming  a light  choco- 
ate  brown  color  at  thirty  to  thirty-six  inches.  It  is  compact, 
and  is  uniform  throughout  its  entire  extent,  except  as  indicated 
in  the  phase  described  below.  The  underlying  rock  lies  from 
four  to  ten  or  more  feet  below  the  surface. 

The  most  important  variation  in  this  soil  has  been  designated 
as  the  steep  phase  on  account  of  its  steep  slopes  and  rough,  un- 
even topography.  This  phase  is  described  in  greater  detail 
following  the  description  of  the  typical  soil. 

Minor  variations  in  the  typical  soil  occur,  chiefly  on  the  nar- 
row ridges,  where  the  surface  soil  has  in  places  been  removed 
and  the  heavy  subsoil  exposed.  In  such  places  the  depth  to 
the  underlying  rock  is  also  less  than  over  the  more  extensive 
areas  of  this  soil,  and  in  some  instances  it  can  be  reached  with 
a three-foot  auger.  On  some  of  the  lower  slopes,  the  wash  from 
the  adjoining  higher  land  has  accumulated  to  a small  extent, 


20 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY 


and  the  surface  soil  in  such  places  is  somewhat  deeper  than  the 
average.  On  some  slopes  the  soil  is  somewhat  darker  in  color 
and  contains  more  organic  matter  than  typical.  While  a num- 
ber of  such  minor  variations  occur,  this  soil — as  a whole — is 
remarkably  uniform. 

Topography  and  drainage. — The  Knox  silt  loam  occupies  a 
section  of  country  which  consists  of  a series  of  hills  and  ridges. 
The  typical  Knox  silt  loam  is  found  occupying  the  tops  of  these 
hills  and  ridges  where  the  surface  is  nearly  level  to  gently  roll- 
ing, and  also  the  more  gentle  slopes  where  erosion  is  not  a serious 
problem,  and  where  all  ordinary  farm  operations  can  be  carried 
on  without  difficulty.  On  the  steeper  phase,  the  fields  are  sub- 
ject to  erosion,  and  in  some  places  deep  ravines  and  gullies 
have  been  formed,  causing  considerable  damage.  Practically  all 
of  this  phase  can  be  cultivated,  though  some  of  it  is  sufficiently 
steep  to  make  the  operation  of  farm  machinery  difficult.  Ero- 
sion is  the  most  serious  problem  to  be  considered  in  the  cultiva- 
tion of  the  steep  phase.  On  account  of  the  uneven  character  of 
the  surface,  the  natural  drainage  is  good.  The  type  is  quite 
retentive  of  moisture,  and  suffers  from  drought  only  during  long 
dry  spells. 

The  topography  is  such  that  drainage  on  this  soil  is  almost 
always  efficient,  and  only  in  isolated  spots  will  the  drainage 
ever  need  to  be  improved. 

Origin. — The  Knox  silt  loam  in  Jackson  County  lies  directly 
over  sandstone  rock  which  underlies  all  the  ridges  and  knolls 
at  from  two  to  ten  feet  beneath  the  surface.  The  surface  soil  is 
partly  of  loessial  origin,  having  been  deposited  as  fine  dust  by 
winds  from  the  south  and  west  in  past  geological  ages.  It  is 
often  noticeable  that  slopes  which  would  be  exposed  to  such 
wfinds  are  but  thinly  covered  with  the  silt  loam  or  the  soil  is 
sandy  while  in  the  lee  of  hills  and  ridges,  the  silt  loam  surface 
soil  is  often  deeper  than  ordinary.  This  soil  is  also  derived 
in  part  from  shale  associated  with  the  sandstone. 

Most  of  this  soil  shows  varying  degrees  of  acidity;  so  much 
so  that  difficulty  in  getting  alfalfa  started  will  generally  be 
experienced  unless  the  soil  is  limed,  heavily  manured,  and  inocu- 
lated. 

Native  vegetation. — The  natural  timber  on  this  soil  in  Jackson 
County  consisted  mainly  of  white,  black  and  bur  oaks,  with 


GROUP  OF  HEAVY  SOILS. 


21 


some  white  birch,  basswood,  maple  and  white  pine.  Most  of 
the  soil  having  fairly  level  or  undulating  topography  has  been 
cleared  and  cultivated  for  many  years.  A large  part  of  the 
steep  phase  is  still  timbered  as  are  a few  of  the  more  isolated 
forties  which  are  not  steep.  The  timber  is  mostly  second  growth 
oaks,  poplar,  and  white  birch. 

Present  agricultural  development. — The  principal  crops  grown 
at  the  present  time  and  the  average  yields  obtained  are  as  fol- 
lows : Corn,  40  to  45  bushels ; oats,  35  to  45  bushels ; barley, 

30  to  35  bushels ; wheat,  20  to  25  bushels ; and  hay  2 to  2 y2 
tons  per  acre.  Oats  are  grown  more  extensively  than  any  other 
grain  crops.  The  acreage  of  barley  is  smaller  than  that  of  oats 
and  the  acreage  devoted  to  wheat  is  still  less.  The  quality  of 
the  smaH’grains  grown  on  the  Knox  silt  loam  is  excellent,  and 
this  soil  is  generally  held  to  be  a better  grain  soil  than  any  of 
the  other  soils  of  Jackson  County.  Corn,  on  the  other  hand, 
does  not  do  so  well  on  this  type  as  on  the  darker-colored  soils 
of  the  Wabash  or  Bates  series,  though  the  crop  is  successfully 
grown  where  ever  this  soil  occurs.  Most  of  the  grain  and  corn 
grown  is  fed  to  stock  on  the  farms,  though  elevators  at  Hixton, 
Fairchild,  and  Taylor,  and  numerous  grist  mills  still  ship  much 
oats  and  barley  and  some  wheat.  Where  the  land  is  well  farmed, 
but  little  trouble  is  experienced  in  growing  clover.  When 
the  snowfall  is  light,  the  alternate  freezing  and  thawing  of  the 
ground  sometimes  kills  out  clover.  Pasturage,  in  general,  is 
excellent,  being  scant  only  in  very  dry  weather,  or  on  shallow 
slopes  or  knolls  exposed  directly  to  the  sun. 

Buckwheat,  rye,  and  sorghum  are  produced  on  this  soil,  but 
their  acreage  is  never  large.  Alfalfa  is  successfully  grown  by 
very  few  farmers  though  the  acreage  will  no  doubt  be  gradually 
increased,  as  the  crop  provides  excellent  feed,  which  is  of  great 
value,  especially  to  the  dairy  farmers.  Potatoes  are  grown  for 
home  use  on  practically  every  farm,  but  seldom  on  a commer- 
cial scale.  Tobacco  is  grown  to  some  extent,  but  the  crop  is 
generally  grown  on  lighter  soil.  Beans  and  peas  are  not  exten- 
sively grown  on  this  type.  Garden  crops,  such  as  strawberries, 
tomatoes,  lettuce,  radishes,  and  cucumbers,  and  bush  berries 
all  do  well  and  are  grown  for  home  use,  but  seldom  on  a com- 
mercial scale. 


22 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY 


Fruit  growing  is  not  an  important  industry;  though  most 
farms  have  a few  fruit  trees,  and  there  are  a few  fairly  large 
orchards. 

Farm  buildings  are  generally  in  good  condition,  and  silos  are 
rapidly  coming  into  general  use  especially  in  the  towns  of  Al- 
bion, Springfield,  Hixton,  North  Bend,  and  Alma. 

Large  numbers  of  cattle,  hogs,  and  calves  are  raised  and  sold 
as  a part  of  the  business  of  dairying.  Stock  buyers  located  at 
Fairchild,  Black  River  Falls,  Hixton,  Taylor,  and  Humbird 
operate  over  adjoining  territory. 

The  rotation  of  crops  most  commonly  practiced  is  that  of  a 
small  grain  crop  with  which  clover  and  timothy  are  seeded,  hay 
being  cut  for  two  years  after  which  the  land  is  plowed  for  corn. 

When  wheat  is  grown,  it  may  take  the  place  of  the  second 
grain  crop.  Hay  may  be  cut  for  two  years  or  the  field  may  be 
pastured  one  year  after  being  cut  for  hay  the  first  year.  On  the 
steep  slopes  corn  is  sometimes  omitted  from  the  rotation  because 
the  land  is  more  apt  to  erode  when  in  an  intertilled  crop  than 
when  in  a grain  crop  or  in  grass.  The  steepest  slopes  which 
are  used  are  often  kept  in  grass  for  the  greater  part  of  the  time, 
though  some  attempt  to  cultivate  crops  on  land  of  this  character 
is  made.  Stable  manure  is  usually  applied  to  the  sod  to  be 
plowed  for  corn. 

Nearly  every  farmer  produces  enough  potatoes  for  home  use 
and  many  have  some  to  sell  each  year.  The  yield  is  usually 
about  150  bushels  per  acre.  The  soil  is  not  as  wTell  adapted 
to  this  crop  as  some  of  the  other  types,  especially  the  sandy 
loams,  though  the  quality  of  the  potatoes  grown  is  fair. 

Tobacco  was  at  one  time  more  extensively  cultivated  than  at 
present.  It  is  generally  grown  on  the  same  field  for  four  years 
in  succession,  but  during  the  first  two  or  three  years  the  yields 
are  best.  The  fields  must  be  heavily  manured,  and  this  is  often 
done  at  the  expense  of  the  remainder  of  the  farm.  Tobacco 
usually  follows  potatoes  or  corn,  and  is  often  followed  by  wheat. 
The  yieds  secured  range  from  1,000  to  1,600  pounds  per  acre. 
Since  the  crop  requires  careful  attention  and  considerable  labor, 
the  acreage  devoted  to  it  on  any  farm  is  comparatively  small. 

Alfalfa  is  being  tried  by  a few  farmers,  and  some  have  secured 
a good  stand  without  inoculating  the  soil.  In  order  to  secure 
the  best  results,  however,  the  soil  should  be  inoculated  and  liming 
is  also  necessary,  since  the  type  is  slightly  acid.  . 


Wis.  Geol.  and  Natural  Hist.  Survey 


Plate  I 


View  showing  typical  crops  and  topography  in  Knox  Silt  Loam  country  north  and 
west  of  Hixton,  Jackson  County.  This  soil  is  good  grain  land. 


Binding  grain  on  a rolling  portion  of  the  Knox  Silt  Loam.  Land  slightly  steeper 
than  this  is  mapped  as  Steep  Phase  where  measures  to  prevent 
erosion  or  washing  of  the  soil  are  necessary.  , 


GROUP  OF  HEAVY  SOILS. 


23 


Trucking  and  small  fruit  growing  are  not  carried  on  to  any 
great  extent ; though  the  ordinary  garden  vegetables  and  berries 
are  grown  for  heme  use,  and  limited  quantities  are  marketed  in 
the  near-by  towns.  There  are  a few  small  apple  orchards, 
though  the  fruit  industry  has  not  received  special  attention  on 
this  soil. 

KNOX  SILT  LOAM — STEEP  PHASE 

Extent  and  distribution. — The  steep  phase  of  the  Knox  silt 
loam  occurs  in  all  parts  of  the  county  intimately  associated  with 
the  main  type,  and  frequently  grades  into  it  in  such  a way 
as  to  make  the  drawing  of  a definite  boundary  line  difficult. 
It  occupies  steep  slopes  generally  about  the  heads  of  small 
streams  heading  in  the  areas  above  the  rough  stone  land.  On 
these  slopes,  which  form  the  more  or  less  steep  sides  of  the  val- 
leys, the  silt  soil  is  subject  to  erosion  and  careful  methods  are 
often  necessary  to  prevent  destructive  gulch  formations  while 
these  slopes  are  under  cultivation.  When  the  steep  slopes  are 
not  wooded,  or  in  pasture,  or  covered  by  a growing  crop  to  pro- 
tect them,  the  soil  washes  badly,  and  ditches  are  quickly  and 
deeply  cut  into  the  hillsides.  When  erosion  has  once  started 
in  this  way,  it  is  difficult  to  check ; so  methods  of  prevention  are 
very  important. 

Description. — In  general  physical  appearance  and  character, 
the  soil  of  the  steep  phase  is  essentially  like  the  typical  soil,  the 
basis  of  separation  being  one  of  topography.  As  a whole,  the 
color  and  texture  of  the  soil  may  be  slightly  lighter  than  the 
typical  soil,  and  the  average  depth  to  rock  is  less.  Because  of 
its  steep,  broken  character,  this  phase  has  a lower  agricultural 
value  than  the  typical  soil. 

Drainage. — The  natural  drainage  of  the  steep  phase  is  good 
except  in  small  areas  along  the  slopes  where  springs  and  seeps 
may  occur.  The  greater  part  of  it  is  so  rolling  that  too  large 
a percentage  of  the  rainfall  runs  off,  and  crops  often  suffer  from 
lack  of  moisture. 

Origin. — The  Knox  silt  loam,  steep  phase,  has  practically  the 
same  origin  as  the  typical  soil,  though  as  a rule  there  is  less 
depth  to  bedrock,  and  chert  fragments  occur  on  the  surface  and 
through  the  soil  mass  in  greater  abundance. 


24 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY 


Native  vegetation. — The  original  timber  growth  consisted  of 
the  same  trees  as  on  the  typical  soil,  oak  predominating.  Most 
of  the  standing  timber  outside  the  bottom  lands  is  now  found 
on  this  phase,  and  on  the  rough  stony  land  with  which  it  is 
associated,  though  a considerable  proportion  of  the  steep  land 
is  cleared,  and  is  either  in  cultivation  or  pasture  land. 

Present  agricultural  development. — The  same  crops  are 
grown  on  the  steep  phase  as  on  the  typical  soil,  but  less  corn 
and  other  intertilled  crops  are  grown  and  more  of  the  land  is 
in  grass  and  pasture  than  on  the  main  type.  The  ordinary 
yields  of  all  crops  are  somewhat  lower.  Because  of  the  steep 
character  of  the  surface,  the  phase  is  more  difficult  to  work 
than  the  typical  soil.  The  steepest  portions  of  the  phase  are 
now  in  timber  or  pasture  land,  and  the  remainder  is  devoted  to 
general  farming. 

LINTONIA  SILT  LOAM 

Extent  and  distribution. — This  soil  occupies  part  of  the  high- 
est levels  of  the  terraces  bordering  the  Black  and  Trempealeau 
Rivers.  The  soil  quite  closely  resembles  the  Knox  silt  loam  in 
texture  and  color,  but  differs  from  it  in  topography,  origin,  and 
the  position  which  it  occupies. 

Description. — The  surface  soil  of  the  Lintonia  silt  loam  to 
an  average  depth  of  ten  inches  consists  of  a brownish-gray, 
friable  silt  loam,  which  becomes  lighter  colored  on  drying  and 
frequently  has  a whitish  appearance.  The  quantity  of  organic 
matter  present  in  the  surface  soil  is  comparatively  small,  and 
this  accounts  in  part  for  the  light  color  of  the  material.  A 
slight  acid  condition  has  developed  in  places  in  the  surface  soil, 
as  indicated  by  the  litmus  paper  test.  The  subsoil  consists  of 
a yellowish-brown  or  buffcolored  silt  loam,  which  usually  becomes 
somewhat  heavier  and  more  compact  with  depth,  and  at  twenty- 
four  to  thirty  inches  may  be  a silty  clay  loam.  Below  this 
depth  there  is  often  a considerable  quantity  of  fine  and  very 
fine  sand,  and  this  mixture  extends  to  a depth  of  three  feet  or 
over,  and  grades  into  stratified  fine  sand  with  layers  of  gravel 
in  the  lower  depths. 

Topography  and  drainage. — The  surface  of  the  Lintonia  silt 
loam  is  usually  level  or  nearly  so,  frequently  having  a gentle 
slope  toward  the  stream  channels  along  which  it  occurs.  The 


GROUP  OF  HEAVY  SOILS. 


25 


type  occurs  as  terraces  or  benches  usually  rather  narrow,  but 
extending  along  the  streams  for  considerable  distances.  The 
part  adjoining  the  upland  rises  slowly  and  frequently  grades 
into  the  Knox  silt  loam  so  gradually  that  the  boundary  line  must 
be  arbitrarily  placed.  As  this  type  is  found  chiefly  at  the  foot 
of  higher  lying  slopes,  which  are  often  very  steep,  large  quan- 
tities of  water  must  pass  over  the  terraces  during  heavy  rains, 
and  as  a result  deep  ravines  are  frequently  formed.  The  origi- 
nal timber  growth  consisted  chiefly  of  oak,  with  some  hickory 
and  a few  other  species.  Most  of  the  timber  has  been  removed. 
In  the  ravines  there  is  now  a second  growth  of  sumac,  hazel, 
and  other  brush. 

Origin. — The  material  composing  the  type  is  largely  of  allu- 
vial origin  and  was  deposited  during  glacial  periods  when  the 
melting  ice  sheets  to  the  north  greatly  increased  the  volume 
of  water  flowing  down  these  rivers.  It  is  probable  that  the  sur- 
face material,  especially  close  to  the  foot  of  the  bluffs,  is  partly 
colluvial,  having  been  washed  down  the  steep  slopes  from  the 
Knox  sit  loam  areas,  which  are  always  found  at  higher  eleva- 
tions. 

Present  agricultural  development. — Practically  all  the  type 
is  put  to  some  agricultural  use,  and  most  of  it  is  cultivated 
regularly.  The  crops  generally  grown  and  the  yields  obtained 
are : Corn,  45  to  50  bushels ; oats,  25  to  40  bushels ; barley,  30 
to  35  bushels;  and  hay,  l1/^  to  2 tons  per  acre.  Potatoes  are 
grown  on  the  type  to  a small  extent  for  home  use,  but  seldom 
on  a commercial  scale.  The  usual  rotation  consists  of  corn 
followed  by  a small  grain,  either  oats  or  barley,  or  sometimes 
by  one  year  of  each  of  these  crops,  and  then  by  clover  and  tim- 
othy mixed,  seeded  with  the  grain,  the  field  being  cut  for  hay 
one  or  two  years,  before  returning  to  corn.  The  stable  manure 
is  usually  applied  to  the  sod  to  be  plowed  under  for  the  corn 
crops.  The  methods  of  cultivation,  fertilization,  and  treatment 
are  practically  the  same  as  those  practiced  on  Knox  silt  loam. 
The  soil  is  not  difficult  to  cultivate,  and  where  the  areas  are 
of  sufficient  size  to  form  fields  or  the  larger  part  of  a farm, 
this  terrace  soil  may  be  considered  one  of  the  most  desirable 
types  in  the  county. 


26 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY 


BATES  SILT  LOAM 

Extent  and  distribution. — This  type  of  soil  is  all  found  in 
one  locality.  It  covers  four  to  five  square  miles  of  land  just 
north  and  west  of  the  town  of  Alma  Center.  The  soil  is  nearly 
level  to  undulating,  occupying  part  of  valley  flat  and  extending 
up  adjoining  slopes  and  includes  small  knolls  and  elevations. 
There  is  sufficient  fall  so  that  the  drainage  is  generally  good, 
although  where  the  land  is  quite  level,  the  drainage  is  deficient 
in  places. 

Description. — The  surface  soil  of  the  Bates  silt  loam  to  a 
depth  of  ten  to  fourteen  inches  consists  of  a dark-brown  silt 
loam  containing  a high  percentage  of  organic  matter.  Its  high 
percentage  of  silt  and  organic  matter  gives  the  soil  an  extremely 
smooth  feel.  Litmus  paper  tests  indicate  an  acid  condition  over 
most  of  the  type.  The  subsoil  consists  of  a brown  or  buff-col- 
ored silt  loam,  which  gradually  becomes  heavier  in  texture  and 
lighter  in  color,  and  at  twenty-four  to  thirty  inches  consists  of 
a yellowish-brown,  compact,  heavy  silt  loam  or  silty  clay  loam. 
In  spots  where  the  drainage  is  deficient,  the  subsoil  shows  a 
slight  mottling  of  light  gray  or  drab.  This  heavy  subsoil  ex- 
tends to  a considerable  depth,  and  the  soil  section  will  probably 
average  seven  to  eight  feet  in  thickness. 

Origin. — The  silty  material  composing  this  type  of  soil  may 
be  of  residual  origin  from  a shaly  phase  of  the  Potsdam  sand- 
stone formation,  or  more  probably,  loessial  material.  It  differs 
from  the  Knox  silt  loam  principally  in  its  higher  organic  mat- 
ter content. 

Native  vegetation. — The  type  as  a whole  is  generally  spoken 
of  as  “Oak  openings”  having  been  originally  forested  with  scat- 
tered clumps  of  large  oak  trees,  while  the  intervening  spaces 
were  in  a semi-prairie  condition,  supporting  a more  or  less 
heavy  growth  of  prairie  grass. 

The  Bates  silt  loam  is  one  of  the  desirable  types  of  soil  in 
the  county.  All  the  general  crops  grown  in  the  region  do  well 
on  this  type,  and  the  average  yields  of  some  of  the  crops  are 
higher  than  on  most  of  the  other  soils.  The  soil  is  especially 
well  adapted  to  corn,  on  which  the  ordinary  yield  is  50  to  60 
bushels  per  acre.  Barley  produces  30  to  35  bushels  and  oats 
40  to  50  bushels  per  acre.  The  quality  of  the  small  grains  is 


GROUP  OF  HEAVY  SOILS. 


27 


jiot  so  good  as  of  those  grown  on  the  Knox  silt  loam.  Clover 
and  timothy  produce  from  1%  to  2 tons  per  acre,  and  the  pas- 
turage is  generally  excellent.  The  rotation  of  crops  most  gener- 
ally followed  consists  of  corn,  small  grains,  and  hay.  Of  the 
small  grains,  oats  is  most  commonly  grown,  though  barley  may 
also  be  grown  in  the  rotation  following  the  oats.  Where  the 
acid  condition  is  corrected  and  the  soil  inoculated,  the  alfalfa 
crop  promises  to  do  very  well. 

Dairying  is  the  chief  branch  of  farming  followed,  and  hog 
raising  is  carried  on  quite  extensively  on  many  of  the  dairy 
farms.  The  buildings  and  other  improvements  on  this  soil  are 
as  a rule  better  than  the  average.  Some  farms  produce  beef 
stock  in  connection  with  dairy  farming.  Silos  are  in  quite 
general  use. 

VESPER  SILT  LOAM 

This  soil  consists  of  eight  to  ten  inches  of  grayish  brown 
heavy  silt  loam  on  yellowish-brown  or  bluish,  or  mottled  silty 
clay  loam  subsoil.  This  subsoil  is  sticky  and  retentive  of  moisture. 
Lenses  of  fine  sand  may  occur  in  the  clay  subsoil  and  beneath 
this  clay,  a layer  of  sand,  or  sandy  clay  loam  lies  at  from  twenty- 
four  to  thirty-six  inches.  The  sandy  material  lies  nearest  the 
surface  on  slight  knolls  while  on  the  flats  and  depressions,  the 
clay  subsoil  may  extend  to  four  feet  or  more  in  depth.  In  a 
few  places,  shale  or  sandstone  rock  is  found  within  three  or  four 
feet  of  the  surface  especially  on  the  slight  knolls.  On  the  flats, 
one  to  three  inches  of  the  surface  soil  may  be  black  with  accu- 
mulated organic  matter. 

This  Vesper  silt  loam  covers  about  five  to  six  square  miles  of 
land  immediately  to  the  north  and  west  of  Merrillan.  The  soil 
is  not  found  in  any  other  part  of  the  count}7. 

The  topography  of  this  soil  is  level  or  very  slightly  sloping. 
Very  slight  elevations  or  knolls  occur  in  a few  places.  These 
have  been  outlined  and  indicated  by  the  symbol  (R)  as  rolling 
phase  of  the  type. 

The  drainage  of  the  type  is  generally  poor.  This  is  due  to 
the  combined  effects  of  a sticky  clayey  subsoil  and  the  level 
topography.  The  drainage  is  so  defective  that  cultivated  crops 
can  seldom  be  matured  on  it  except  in  dry  season.  The  slight 
knolls  mentioned  are  well  enough  drained  so  that  the  soil  can 
generally  be  cultivated.  Much  of  the  land  is  retained  in  perma- 


28 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY 


nent  pasture  or  hay  land.  A large  part  of  this  soil  is  still 
timbered  or  brush  covered.  The  original  timber  was  largely 
pine  with  some  hemlock,  hardwood,  and  oak.  Practically  all 
the  merchantable  timber  has  been  removed.  The  present  timber 
consists  of  oaks,  poplar,  ash,  and  birch  fifteen  to  twenty  feet 
high.  Grass,  willow,  and  alder  cover  the  lower  portions.  The 
soil  is  very  acid,  and  a good  deal  of  moss  grows  on  the  cleared 
land. 

The  crops  best  adapted  to  this  soil  are  hay  (alsike  and  tim- 
othy), root  crops,  rye,  and  oats.  Corn  for  ensilage  can  gen- 
erally be  grown  and  in  dry  years  ripe  corn  can  sometimes  be 
produced.  Most  of  the  cultivated  crops  are  grown  on  the 
knolls.  Potatoes  are  grown  to  some  extent  as  well  as  buckwheat. 
Yields  of  all  crops  except  hay  are  very  variable,  and  depend 
almost  entirely  upon  the  character  of  the  season. 

This  land  sells  for  from  ten  to  forty  dollars  per  acre  depending 
upon  location  and  improvement. 

The  following  table  gives  the  mechanical  analyses  of  samples 
of  the  soil  and  subsoil  of  Vesper  silt  loam.* 

Mechanical  Analysis  of  Vesper  Silt  Loam 


Number 

Description 

Fine 

gravel 

Coarse 

sand 

Medium 

sand 

Fine 

sand 

Very  fine 
sand 

Silt 

Clay 

i 

212819. 

312820 

Soil 

Subsoil 

Per  cent 

1.4 

.6 

l 

Per  cent  Per  cent  Per  cent  Per  cent  Per  cent 
4.5  2.5  15.3  16.3  41.9  j 

4.4  2.9  17.0  24.9  33.9 

Per  cent 

1 14.9 

16.2 

* The  numbers  used  to  identify  these  samples  are  the  numbers  of  the  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Soils, 
the  analyses  having  been  made  by  the  Bureau. 


CHEMICAL  COMPOSITION,  FERTILITY  AND  IMPROVE- 
MENT OF  HEAVY  SOILS 

The  heavy  soils  have  a fairly  good  supply  of  the  mineral 
elements  of  plant  food.  The  Bates  soil  as  its  dark  color  indi- 
cates, is  especially  well  supplied  with  organic  matter,  nitrogen 
and  a good  amount  of  phosphorus.  The  lighter  colored  Knox 
and  Lintonia  soils  are  considerably  lower  in  nitrogen  and  also 
phosphorus.  The  Vesper  soil  is  fairly  well  supplied  with  all 
the  essential  plant  food  elements  but  on  account  of  its  acidity 
and  lack  of  efficient  drainage,  measures  to  make  these  stores  of 
plant  food  available  for  crops  are  necessary.  Average  analyses 


GROUP  OF  HEAVY  SOILS. 


29 


indicate  the  following  amounts  of  nitrogen,  phosphorus,  and 
potassium  in  these  soils  in  pounds  per  acre,  eight  inches  deep : 


Nitrogen 

Phosphorus 

Potassium 

Average  of  Lintonia  and  Knox  silt  loams 

1,988 

4,566 

5,340 

820 

33,800 

Vesper  silt  loam _ __ 

1,920 

1,440 

(In  pounds) 

Rates  silt  loam 

35,200 

It  will  be  seen  that  there  is  a good  deal  of  variation  in  the 
amounts  of  the  plant  foods  found  in  these  different  soils. 

Nitrogen  and  organic  matter. — The  light  colored  Lintonia  and 
Knox  soils  have  the  smallest  amounts  of  these  elements.  They 
can  best  be  added  to  the  soil  by  growing  and  plowing  under 
green  crops  as  clovers  and  alfalfa.  Organic  matter  added  to 
these  soils  helps  prevent  erosion  or  washing  away  of  the  soil, 
helps  prevent  drying  out  by  increasing  the  water  holding  capac- 
ity of  the  soil,  and  enlarges  the  leaf  and  stem  growth  of  crops 
giving  larger  straw  on  the  grain  crops  and  improved  yields 
of  silage  and  corn. 

Acidity  and  liming. — Since  all  of  these  soils  are  medium  to 
strongly  acid  and  usually  show  need  of  lime,  difficulty  with 
growing  clover  and  alfalfa  may  be  corrected  in  part  by  apply- 
ing ground  limestone.  The  soil  should  be  tested  before  this 
application,  and  this  is  done  without  charge  by  the  University 
Soils  Department  at  Madison.  The  need  for  lime  as  shown 
by  the  crops  should  also  be  considered.  It  should  not  be  ex- 
pected that  lime  will  remedy  conditions  where  the  soil  lacks 
good  underdrainage  as  is  often  the  case  on  the  Vesper  silt  loam. 

Phosphorus. — The  Knox  and  Lintonia  soils  are  lowest  in  the 
supply  of  this  element,  and  although  they  are  and  have  been 
the  best  grain  soils  in  the  county,  if  the  farm  does  not  produce 
enough  manure  to  revive  the  soil  where  grain  is  becoming  poor, 
small  applications  of  phosphate  fertilizer  to  help  out  the  manure 
will  be  necessary.  Even  if  the  supply  of  manure  is  liberal  the 
additional  use  of  phosphate  fertilizer  will  usually  pay.  Lodged 
grain  or  light  yield  may  be  laid  in  part  to  an  unbalanced  ration 
of  plant  food  in  the  soil  and  addition  of  lime  and  small  amounts 
of  phosphorus  fertilizer  often  help  to  remedy  this  condition. 


30 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY 


Potassium. — * These  soils  are  all  so  well  supplied  with  this 
element  that  no  artificial  application  probably  will  be  needed 
on  general  farm  crops,  when  manure  is  used,  unless  in  some 
places  on  the  Vesper  soil  where  the  drainage  may  be  improved, 
it  may  be  found  necessary  to  apply  some  of  this  fertilizer  at 
first  until  the  supplies  in  the  soil  become  available  through 
cultivation  and  exposure  of  the  soil  to  the  air. 

Crops — fThe  Knox  and  Lintonia  soils  are  best  adapted  to 
grains  and  grass  and  fairly  so  to  corn,  while  the  Bates  soil 
produces  the  best  corn  and  barley.  The  Vesper  soil  produces 
hay  well  (alsike  and  timothy)  and  fair  oats,  rye,  and  a little 
corn.  Methods  to  improve  the  surface  and  underdrainage  must 
be  worked  out  to  improve  yields  on  this  soil. 

In  cultivating  the  Knox  silt  loam,  it  should  be  kept  in  mind 
that  the  soil  is  low  in  organic  matter,  and  that  much  of  it  is 
subject  to  erosion.  The  supply  of  organic  matter  may  be 
increased  by  supplementing  the  stable  manure  with  green  crops, 
especially  legumes,  plowed  under.  The  second  crop  of  clover 
may  well  be  utilized  in  this  way.  Erosion  may  be  held  in  check 
by  putting  the  steepest  slopes  in  grass.  When  necessary  or 
desirable  to  cultivate  the  steeper  slopes,  the  plow  should  be 
run  at  right  angles  to  the  slope.  The  drainage  channel  down 
the  hillside  is  sometimes  left  as  a shallow  sod  ditch,  while  the 
remainder  of  the  field  is  cultivated. 

The  steep  parts  of  the  type  should  be  kept  in  grass  as  much 
as  possible,  and  dairying  and  stock  raising  are  good  lines  of 
farming  to  follow. 

There  are  many  good  orchard  sites  on  the  Knox  silt  loam. 
Bushberries,  strawberries,  etc.,  do  well,  and  it  would  seem  that 
such  fruits  might  be  profitably  grown  on  a commercial  scale 
since  much  of  the  type  is  within  easy  reach  of  shipping  points, 
shipping  points.  The  growing  of  apples  has  been  developed  in 
these  and  it  is  believed  that  apples  could  be  successfully  grown 
on  a larger  scale  in  Jackson  county  than  at  present. 

*For  more  information  on  commercial  fertilizers  and  their  uses  see 
page  73. 

tFor  more  data  on  crop  rotation,  etc.,  see  page  64. 


GROUP  OF  MEDIUM  HEAVY  SOILS. 


31 


CHAPTER  III 

GROUP  OP  MEDIUM  HEAVY  SOILS 

BOONE  LOAM 

Extent  and  distribution. — This  soil  is  a gradation  between 
the  loessial  Knox  silt  loam  and  the  more  largely  residual  Boone 
fine  sandy  loam.  This  soil  is  generally  distributed  over  the 
western  half  of  the  county,  and  occupies  gently  undulating 
secondary  slopes  or  nearly  level  areas  lying  between  the  higher 
land  of  heavier  soil  and  the  streams  border  areas  of  fine  sand 
or  fine  sandy  loam.  The  soil  usually  lies  on  a valley  slope. 
This  type  covers  a total  area  of  22,400  acres. 

Description. — The  Boone  loam  consists  of  a grayish-brown 
loam  or  very  fine  sandy  loam  eight  to  ten  inches  deep  on  a yellow- 
ish-brown loam  or  sticky  clayey  sandy  loam  subsoil.  The  sub- 
soil is  variable,  being  generally  a compact  sandy  loam  on  the 
knolls  and  a heavy  loam  or  sandy  clay  loam  on  the  slopes  and 
the  level  areas.  In  some  cases  sand  or  sandstone  is  found  at  less 
than  three  feet  on  knolls,  but  in  most  cases  the  heavy  subsoil 
extends  beyond  the  reach  of  a forty  inch  auger. 

Topography  and  drainage. — The  drainage  of  the  soil  is  nearly 
always  good  due  to  the  generally  sloping  or  undulating  topog- 
raphy. The  only  exceptions  are  in  the  drainage  ways,  or  bor- 
dering lower  ground  where  small  areas  of  the  soil  may  be  in- 
sufficiently drained  at  times. 

Present  agricultural  development. — The  Boone  loam  is  a valu- 
able soil,  and  is  highly  developed  farm  land.  Practically  all 
of  it  is  under  cultivation.  Dairying  and  general  farming  are 
practiced  on  this  soil.  The  crops  grown  include  oats,  barley, 
clover,  corn,  and  some  potatoes,  wheat  and  root  crops. 

Yields  of  crops  are  about  as  follows:  Corn,  50  to  70  bushels; 

oats,  30  to  40  bushels ; wheat,  25  to  30  bushels ; barley,  20  to  30 
bushels  per  acre.  Clover  does  well  but  often  freezes  out  in 
winter.  Improved  land  sells  for  from  sixty  to  ninety  dollars 
an  acre  depending  on  its  location,  improvement,  etc. 


32 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY 


BOONE  FINE  SANDY  LOAM 

Extent  and  distribution. — The  Boone  fine  sandy  loam  is  an 
important  and  fairly  extensive  type  of  soil  in  this  county,  cov- 
ering a total  of  54,400  acres.  Considerable  areas  of  this  soil 
are  found  in  the  towns  of  Cleveland,  Hixton,  Alma,  Springfield 
in  the  western  part  of  the  county,  and  also  in  the  vicinity  of 
Shamrock  in  the  southern  part. 

Description. — The  surface  soil  of  the  Boone  fine  sandy  loam 
to  an  average  depth  of  eight  to  ten  inches  consists  of  a grayish- 
brown  fine  sandy  loam,  which  in  some  places  contains  a consid- 
erable quantity  of  medium  sand.  The  quantity  of  organic  mat- 
ter present  is  not  large,  and  a slightly  acid  condition  is  found 
to  exist  over  most  of  the  type.  The  subsoil  consists  of  a brown 
to  yellowish-brown  fine  to  medium  sandy  loam,  which  usually 
extends  to  a depth  of  over  three  feet. 

Both  soil  and  subsoil  of  this  type  are  subject  to  considerable 
variation,  though  none  of  the  variations  are  found  of  sufficient 
extent  or  importance  to  be  mapped  as  a phase,  except  the  more 
rolling  tracts  which  are  usually  shallow. 

Outcrops  of  sandstone  are  not  uncommon,  although  they  are 
not  extensive  and  seldom  interfere  to  any  marked  extent  with 
cultivation.  The  depth  to  the  underlying  rock  is  variable,  and 
while  it  averages  over  three  feet,  there  are  places  on  the  tops 
of  ridges  and  on  knolls  where  there  may  be  as  little  as  two  or 
three  inches  of  soil.  There  are  also  places  over  gently  rolling 
tracts  where  the  soil  has  a depth  of  only  two  or  three  feet,  but 
such  areas  are  not  extensive. 

Topography  and  drainage. — This  soil  generally  occupies  the 
intermediate  slopes  lying  between  the  high  ridge  lands  and  the 
sandy  flats  bordering  some  of  the  streams.  The  topography  is 
generally  gently  undulating  to  rolling,  some  larger  areas  being 
nearly  level,  and  some  portions  near  the  ridges  and  rough  stony 
land  having  a fairly  rolling  surface. 

Generally  this  soil  withstands  erosion  well,  both  because  the 
soil  can  absorb  much  water  quickly  and  because  the  surface  is 
generally  not  very  rolling.  In  a few  cases,  erosion  has  gotten 
beyond  control  and  bad  ditches  and  ravines  have  been  formed. 
Samples  of  these  big  ditches  may  be  found  along  the  Pine  Hill 
Road  two  miles  west  of  Shamrock. 


iVis.  Geol.  and  Natural  Hist.  Survey 


Plate  II 


View  of  Wildcat  Mound.  Sandstone  ridges  are  included  with  the  Rough  Stony  Land 
type.  Black  Dunning  marsh  border  soil  in  foreground  and  Tama- 
rack peat  swamp  in  the  rear,  bordering  mound. 


Topography  and  vegetation  typical  of  the  Boone  fine  sandy  loam.  Sandstone 
ridge  of  Rough  Stony  Land  in  rear. 


GEOUP  OF  MEDIUM.  HEAVY  SOILS. 


33 


On  account  of  the  sandy  character  of  the  soil  and  the  surface 
features,  the  natural  drainage  of  this  type  is  excellent.  Where 
the  soil  is  shallow  and  wdiere  the  slopes  are  steep,  the  type 
frequently  suffers  from  lack  of  sufficient  moisture,  though  as 
a whole  it  retains  moisture  fairly  well. 

Origin. — The  original  Boone  fine  sandy  loam  is  largely  resid- 
ual having  been  derived  from  the  weathering  of  the  Potsdam 
sandstone,  and  from  a shaly  phase  of  this  formation.  On  some 
of  the  slopes,  it  is  probable  that  some  of  the  sandy  material  has 
been  moved  short  distances  down  the  slope  by  washing.  Where 
there  is  silty  material  incorporated  with  the  soil,  it  is  probable 
that  a part  of  this  has  been  washed  down  from  higher  lying  silt 
loam  types.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the  type  may  also  be  partly 
of  colluvial  origin,  although  this  phase  is  of  minor  importance. 
In  a few  places,  sand  dumes  have  been  formed,  but  these  are 
also  of  small  extent.  The  original  timber  growth  consisted 
partly  of  black  and  scrub  oak  covering  the  shallow  knolls  and 
the  lighter  portions  of  type. 

Native  vegetation. — On  the  heavier  portions  there  was  some 
birch  and  maple.  Sumac,  hazel  brush,  poplar,  and  wild  cherry 
form  the  second  growth  in  uncultivated  places. 

Present  agricultural  development. — By  far  the  greater  propor- 
tion of  the  type  is  put  to  some  form  of  agricultural  use,  and 
most  of  it  is  cultivated.  The  wooded  portion  is  confined  chiefly 
to  the  steeper  slopes  and  shallow  knolls,  which  are  covered  mainly 
with  small  oak.  As  is  the  case  with  the  county  as  a whole, 
most  of  the  type  is  devoted  to  general  farming,  with  dairying 
as  the  most  important  branch.  In  connection  with  dairying 
quite  a number  of  hogs  are  raised. 

The  chief  crops  grown  and  the  ordinary  yields  are  as  follows : 
Corn,  40  to  50  bushels ; oats,  30  to  40  bushels ; barley,  35  to  40 
bushels;  and  hay  from  one  to  two  tons  per  acre.  Some  rye  is 
also  grown,  and  it  gives  fair  yields.  On  some  of  the  level  por- 
tions of  the  type  some  farmers  report  an  increasing  difficulty 
in  getting  a good  stand  of  clover.  Others  on  the  gently  rolling 
phase  report  no  trouble  whatever,  no  clover  having  been  lost  in 
the  last  seven  or  eight  years.  Very  fine  stands  of  clover  appear 
on  some  of  the  lighter  portions  of  the  type,  even  though  the  soil 
showed  indications  of  acidity  in  response  to  the  litmus  paper 
test. 


34 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY 


When  the  county  was  first  settled,  wheat  was  grown  exten- 
sively on  this  soil,  but  very  little  is  now  produced.  It  is  con- 
sidered a fair  corn  soil,  and  the  yields  are  practically  the  same 
as  on  the  Knox  silt  loam.  Potatoes  can  be  grown  successfully, 
though  the  acreage  is  not  large. 

The  rotation  of  crops  most  commonly  practiced  consists  of 
corn,  followed  by  oats  or  barley,  with  which  clover  and  timothy 
are  seeded.  Hay  is  cut  for  one  or  two  years,  and  the  field  may 
be  pastured  for  a year  before  being  again  plowed  for  corn. 
Cultivation  of  this  soil  is  not  difficult,  and  a lighter  class  of 
implements  and  stock  can  be  used  than  on  the  silt  loam  type. 

The  selling  price  of  land  of  this  type  is  quite  variable,  depend- 
ing upon  location,  character  of  the  surface,  texture  of  the  soil, 
and  improvements.  In  the  most  favorable  locations,  the  gently 
sloping  and  nearly  level  portions  of  the  type  sell  for  sixty  to 
one  hundred  dollars  an  acre.  The  rougher  places  which  are 
more  distantly  removed  from  towns  are  held  at  twenty-five  to 
fifty  dollars  an  acre. 

VESPER  FINE  SANDY  LOAM 

(. Including  Vesper  Loam ) 

The  Vesper  fine  sandy  loam  is  an  extensive  type  of  soil.  It 
lies  in  the  east  end  of  the  county  in  a compact  body  three  to 
five  miles  wide  extending  from  the  vicinity  of  Merrillan  east 
to  City  Point. 

The  surface  soil  consists  of  six  to  ten  inches  of  grayish-brown 
fine  sandy  loam.  On  some  places,  the  surface  one-half  inch  is 
dark  brown  or  black  due  to  more  organic  matter  in  it.  The 
subsoil  is  a yellowish  or  mottled  fine  sandy  loam  or  fine  sand. 
At  from  twelve  to  thirty  inches  deep  the  subsoil  becomes  a stiff 
compact,  mottled,  or  bluish  sandy  clay  loam  or  clay.  This  tight 
clay  layer  varies  from  two  to  twelve  inches  in  thickness  beneath 
which  again  is  found  sand,  sandstone  or  shale  rock.  The  rock 
generally  lies  at  about  twenty-four  inches  beneath  the  slight 
knolls  while  on  the  flats  and  lower  ground,  the  surface  soil  is 
generally  somewhat  sandier  than  usual,  the  clay  layer  thicker 
and  the  rock  lies  at  greater  depths. 

The  topography  varies  from  flat  to  gently  undulating.  In  a 
few  places,  bordering  stream*,  the  land  is  more  rolling,  but  this 
condition  is  not  at  all  extensive.  The  drainage  of  this  soil  is 


GROUP  OF  MEDIUM  HEAVY  SOILS. 


35 


deficient.  Because  of  the  heavy  clay  layer  and  the  shale  rock 
beneath  it,  the  rain  water  cannot  penetrate  deeply  into  the  soil. 
The  result  is  a soggy,  cold  condition  of  the  land  till  late  in  the 
season  each  spring.  This  is  liable  to  be  true  even  on  gentle 
slopes.  The  drainage  is  better  in  a few  instances  on  small  knolls 
and  bordering  the  stream  courses,  and  these  places  are  where 
crops  are  most  successfully  grown.  The  drainage  of  Sections 
4,  5,  9,  19,  12,  14  (Township  22,  Range  1 West)  is  better  than 
the  average  as  they  border  the  East  Fork  of  Black  River. 

The  Vesper  fine  sandy  loam  is  largely  brush  covered.  The 
original  white  and  Norway  pine  timber  has  all  been  removed 
and  outside  of  a few  oaks  and  Jack  pine,  there  is  very  little 
large  timber.  Poplar,  birch,  Jack  pine  and  oak  brush  cover 
most  of  the  land.  Willow,  alder,  moss,  and  sweet  fern  grow 
on  the  lower  portions. 

In  origin  this  soil  is  largely  residual  from  the  underlying 
sandstone  and  shale. 

Only  a small  proportion  of  the  type  is  improved,  and  the 
land  has  a comparatively  low  selling  value.  By  many  it  is 
considered  as  having  limited  possibilities,  but  demonstrations 
which  have  been  made  with  the  use  of  lime  and  with  phosphate 
fertilizers  seem  to  show  that  with  drainage  this  soil  can  be 
made  to  produce  profitable  crops.  Yields  of  corn  of  60  bushels 
per  acre  are  known  to  have  been  obtained. 

For  a discussion  of  the  methods  best  suited  for  the  improve- 
ment of  this  soil  see  page  36. 

The  following  table  gives  the  results  of  mechanical  analyses  of 
samples  of  the  soil,  subsurface,  and  subsoil  of  the  Vesper  fine 
sandy  loam : 


Mechanical  Analysis  of  Vesper  Fine  Sandy  Loam 


Number 

Description 

Fine 

gravel 

Coarse 

sand 

Medium 

sand 

Fine 

sand 

Very  fine 
sand 

Silt 

Clay 

812809 

812810 

812810a 

Soil 

Subsurface 

Subsoil 

Per  cenl 
0.2 
.4 
.6 

Per  cev 
1 2.2 
1.4 
1.0 

[ 

Per  cen 
4.4 

4:1 

Per  cent 
65.8 
69.7 
16.1 

Per  cent 

11.8 

11.7 

21.7 

Per  cent 
11.2 
8.8 
29.0 

Per  cent 
4.3 
3.8 
80.9 

36 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY 


CHEMICAL  COMPOSITION  AND  FERTILITY  OF  THE  MEDIUM  HEAVY 

SOILS 

These  soils  vary  in  the  content  of  plant  food  as  shown  by  the 
chemical  analyses.  In  general  the  loams  are  better  supplied 
with  prosphorus  and  nitrogen  than  are  the  fine  sandy  loams. 
The  latter  possess  about  1,500  to  1,700  pounds  of  nitrogen  per 
acre  eight  inches  deep  while  the  loams  have  from  500  to  700 
pounds  more.  The  fine  sandy  loams  show  about  800  pounds  of 
phosphorus  while  the  loams  have  about  1,000  pounds  an  acre, 
eight  inches. 

Potassium  is  present  in  considerable  amounts  in  all  the  soils, 
varying  from  20,000  to  40,000  pounds  an  acre,  eight  inches.  The 
acidity  ranges  from  slight  to  strong. 

The  need  for  lime  is  most  marked  in  the  Vesper  fine  sandy 
loam  and  to  a somewhat  less  degree  in  the  Boone  fine  sandy  loam. 
This  group  of  soils  is  adapted  to  a variety  of  crops  and  with 
the  exception  of  the  Vesper  fine  sandy  loam,  which  is  naturally 
deficient  in  drainage  they  produce  good  crops  of  corn,  potatoes, 
oats,  alsike  clover  and  timothy  and  some  tobacco. 

It  is  more  difficult  to  keep  up  the  content  of  organic  matter 
in  these  soils  than  in  the  heavier  silt  loams.  Lime  will  be 
needed  on  all  of  the  types  when  alfalfa  is  to  be  grown  and 
may  be  required  to-  insure  a good  stand  of  clover.  (See  p. 
for  discussion  on  liming.) 

The  use  of  acid  phosphate  will  in  most  cases  prove  to  be  profit- 
able. This  applied  broadcast  to  grain  crop  seeded  to  clover 
will  not  only  increase  the  grain  crop  but  will  aid  in  insuring  a 
good  growth  of  clover  or  alfalfa  which  in  turn  will  increase 
the  organic  matter  and  nitrogen  content  of  the  soil  (For  dis- 
cussion of  commercial  fertilizer  see  page  ). 

On  the  Vesper  fine  sandy  loam  tile  drainage  is  needed  since 
this  soil  is  too  wet  much  of  the  time  for  most  crops  to  do  well. 
Tiling  is  made  more  difficult  by  the  presence  of  the  blue  shale 
clay  and  shale  rock  layers  at  varying  depth  in  the  subsoil. 
Knolls  and  rolling  areas  in  this  soil  produce  good  crops. 

In  the  improvement  of  the  type  drainage  is  the  first  step. 
The  soil  is  low  in  organic  matter  and  phosphorus  and  is  in  need 
of  lime,  but  the  supply  of  potassium  is  large  and  this  high  po- 
tassium content  appears  to  be  general.  With  proper  drainage 
and  fertilization  together  with  the  use  of  lime,  this  soil  offers 
good  opportunities  for  agricultural  development. 


GROUP  OF  SANDY  SOILS . 


37 


CHAPTER  IV 


GROUP  OF  SANDY  SOILS 

BOONE  FINE  SAND 

Extent  and  distribution.— The  Boone  fine  sand  is  widely  dis- 
tributed over  nearly  all  parts  of  Jackson  county.  It  occurs 
wherever  the  loessial  or  wind-blown  silty  blanket  of  soil  failed 
to  cover  the  sandstone,  or  where  the  silt  surface  has  since  been 
removed  by  erosion.  In  the  east  half  of  the  county  this  soil 
covers  the  greater  part  of  the  upland.  In  the  western  part 
this  soil  is  confined  largely  to  the  valleys  and  slopes  surrounding 
the  sandstone  ridges  and  outcrops.  Pine,  Low  and  Tank  Creek 
valleys  in  the  towns  of  Hixton  and  Albion  have  much  of  this 
soil. 

Description. — The  soil  of  the  Boone  fine  sand,  to  an  average 
depth  of  six  inches,  consists  of  a brown  or  yellowish  fine  sand, 
in  the  surface  inch  or  two  of  which  there  is  a very  small  amount 
of  organic  matter.  The  soil  is  loose  and  open,  and  is  occasion- 
ally blown  into  small  dunes  by  the  wind.  Sandstone  fragments 
and  some  chert  may  occur  upon  the  surface  and  be  mixed  with 
the  soil.  The  subsoil  consists  of  a fine  yellow  sand,  which  con- 
tains fragments  of  sandstone  and  chert,  and  usually  grades  into 
disintegrated  sandstone  or  into  the  solid  rock  at  two  to  ten  feet. 
The  texture  may  become  coarser  as  the  rock  is  approached.  The 
underlying  rock  frequently  outcrops.  The  depth  to  rock  is 
variable  and  ranges  from  one  foot  to  five  or  six  feet.  Where 
the  depth  is  greatest,  rock  fragments  are  seldom  found;  where 
the  soil  is  shallow,  they  may  be  very  plentiful.  As  a rule,  the 
soil  is  thinner  in  the  hill  country  than  in  a flat  region.  The 
subsoil  may  have  a reddish-brown  color,  but  the  type  as  a whole 
is  quite  uniform,  and  what  variations  occur  are  of  minor  impor- 
tance. 

Topography  and  drainage. — The  topography  of  this  soil  varies 
from  very  gently  sloping  to  rolling.  On  the  larger  areas  of 


38 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY 


the  soil,  the  surface  is  undulating  for  the  most  part,  the  rolling 
topography  occurring  only  in  the  vicinity  of  the  sandstone 
mounds  and  ridges.  Some  of,  this  soil  is  nearly  level  and  in  the 
east  end  of  the  county  the  areas  of  level  topography  are  out- 
lined as  a level  phase  of  the  Boone  fine  sand.  The  level  areas 
outlined  occur  mainly  in  the  towns  of  Bear  Bluff,  Knapp  and 
City  Point. 

The  surface  soil  has  in  places  been  blown  into  low  dunes. 
On  account  of  the  loose,  open  character  of  the  soil  and  subsoil 
the  natural  drainage  is  excessive,  and  crops  usually  suffer  from 
drought  during  a portion  of  every  season.  On  account  of  the 
surface  features  and  the  loose,  open  character  of  both  soil  and 
subsoil,  the  natural  drainage  is  excessive  and  the  type  is 
droughty.  None  of  the  slopes  are  sufficiently  steep  to  make  the 
prevention  of  erosion  an  important  factor  in  the  management  of 
this  soil. 

Origin. — In  origin  the  Boone  fine  sand  is  largely  residual, 
having  been  derived  from  the  weathering  of  Potsdam  sandstone. 
There  is  but  little  organic  matter  present,  and  such  a small 
quantity  of  silt  and  clay  that  the  loose  surface  material  is 
readily  blown  by  the  wind,  and  in  a number  of  places  low  sand 
dunes  have  been  formed.  The  material  composing  the  type  is 
in  an  acid  condition,  as  indicated  by  the  litmus  paper  test. 

Native  vegetation. — The  original  timber  growth  on  this  type 
consisted  chiefly  of  Norway  and  Jack  pine  and  scattered  scrubby 
oak.  Coarse  grasses  and  sand  burs  are  also  found  growing  on 
the  type,  although  there  are  a number  of  places  where  the  sur- 
face is  bare  of  vegetation,  and  the  soil  is  now  drifting. 

Present  agricultural  development. — The  Boone  fine  sand  is 
one  of  the  most  extensive  types  of  soil  in  Jackson  County. 
While  a large  part  of  it  occurring  in  the  western  part  of  the 
county  with  soils  of  greater  agricultural  value  is  used  for  some 
agricultural  purpose,  a very  large  part  of  the  soil  in  the  east 
half  of  the  county  is  not  cultivated.  Large  areas  remain  covered 
with  brush.  Bushes  or  small  trees  and  portions  once  cultivated 
have  been  abandoned  in  many  cases.  Perhaps  fifteen  to  twenty- 
five  percent  of  this  soil  is  cultivated  or  used  for  some  agricul- 
tural purpose.  The  presence  of  better  types  of  soil  in  the  vicin- 
ity always  encourages  the  cultivation  of  this  soil,  but  where  this 


GROUP  OF  SANDY  SOILS. 


39 


soil  occurs  exclusively  in  large  areas,  agriculture  does  not  thrive 
notably  on  it. 

Good  yields  of  crops  adapted  to  the  soil  are  often  produced 
in  favorable  seasons  where  the  land  is  properly  cultivated. 
Such  crops  as  corn,  rye,  buckwheat,  beans,  cucumbers,  tobacco 
and  clover  are  grown  on  this  soil  in  different  parts  of  the  county. 
Special  crops  succeed  best  .on  this  soil  because  of  its  easy  culti- 
vation, but  the  land  can  be  very  quickly  run  down  and  crop 
yields  greatly  reduced  where  methods  for  keeping  up  the  soil 
fertility  are  not  used. 

Dairy  farming  is  at  a disadvantage  unless  the  stock  can 
range  over  a large  area  of  land,  or  in  case  the  farm  includes 
bottom  land  or  heavy  soil  for  pasturage,  for  this  soil  furnishes 
scant  pasturage  during  the  dry  parts  of  the  summer  months. 

Tobacco  and  beans  are  grown  on  this  soil  mainly  in  the  val- 
leys west  of  Black  River  in  the  towns  of  Springfield,  Northfield, 
Albion,  and  Curran.  Cucumbers  are  grown  in  the  towns  of 
Brockway,  Alma,  and  Komensky. 

The  chief  crops  grown  and  the  average  yields  obtained  during 
the  most  favorable  seasons  are  as  follows:  Corn,  15  to  20 

bushels;  oats,  15  to  20  bushels;  rye,  12to  15  bushels;  buckwheat, 
10  to  12  bushels;  and  potatoes,  50  to  100  bushels  per  acre. 

The  yields  of  crops  vary  greatly  on  this  soil,  depending  partly 
on  the  location  of  the  land,  the  kind  of  season,  and  in  part  on 
how  the  land  is  handled.  The  best  yields  are  generally  obtained 
where  this  land  lies  in  such  a position  that  it  does  not  dry  out 
too  readily  in  the  summer  months,  such  as  on  a north  slope  or 
at  the  base  of  a slope  where  run-off  and  seepage  of  the  rainfall 
tend  to  keep  the  soil  moist  and  still  not  too  wet.  Best  yields 
are  also  obtained  where  small  patches  of  this  soil  are  surrounded 
on  the  farm  by  heavier  soil.  On  such  places,  the  farmer  seems 
to  have  more  manure  to  spare  for  the  light  soil,  and  he  often 
has  better  success  with  clover.  A slightly  more  compact  sub- 
soil than  normal  is  sometimes  found  in  such  locations  as  de- 
scribed above. 

Very  good  yields  of  mammoth  clover  are  sometimes  obtained 
on  this  soil,  and  in  a number  of  places  clover  for  seed  is  regu- 
larly grown.  Some  farmers  find  that  spring  sown  clover  with 
oats  does  better  than  with  fall  sown  rye  on  this  soil.  In  other 
locations  where  this  soil  is  extensive,  clover  is  practically  never 


40 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY 


grown  and  a good  catch  is  very  difficult  to  obtain.  From  $150 
to  $250  worth  of  tobacco  an  acre,  from  $100  to  $150  worth  of 
cucumbers,  from  eight  to  ten  bushels  of  white  beans,  and  from 
90  to  125  bushels  of  potatoes  are  some  of  the  yields  of  special 
crops  reported  in  favorable  seasons.  The  special  crops  are  sub- 
ject to  frosts  and  total  failures  sometimes  result  from  this  cause 
as  well  as  from  dry  weather.  From,  one  to  three  or  four  acres 
per  farm  is  generally  the  limit  of  acreage  where  these  special 
crops  are  grown,  although  on  a few  farms  much  larger  acre- 
ages are  grown. 

The  most  successful  farmers  on  this  soil  raise  a small  acreage 
of  special  crops  and  for  general  crops,  they  grow  mainly  rye, 
corn  or  buckwheat  and  generally  are  able  to  grown  enough  oats 
for  their  own  use.  In  some  cases  a three  year  rotation  of  rye 
or  oats  with  clover  first  year,  hay  and  pasture  second  year,  corn 
third  year  is  practiced.  Where  clover  is  seldom  if  ever  grown 
and  farm  manure  is  scarce  a portion  of  the  land  is  allowed  to 
lie  fallow  about  one  year  in  three.  Very  little  commercial 
fertilizer  is  used  except  by  some  of  the  cucumber  growers.  To- 
bacco fields  are  usually  heavily  manured  and  farm  manure  is 
the  main  fertilizer  used. 

BOONE  FINE  SAND 

(. Poorly  Drained  Phase) 

In  Sections  23,  26,  34,  35  in  Town  22  North,  range  3 W,  three 
or  four  miles  south  of  Hatfield,  there  is  an  area  of  several  square 
miles  of  low  lying  upland  soil  which  has  rather  poor  drainage, 
and  which  is  separated  from  the  typical  Boone  fine  sand  as  a 
poorly  drained  phase.  This  soil  is  somewhat  variable,  but  in 
the  main,  consists  of  a rather  dark,  medium  to  fine  sand  with 
a subsoil  which  is  yellow  or  sometimes  mottled.  There  is  no 
shallow  or  heavy  layer  of  clay  in  the  subsoil,  although  sand- 
stone rock  is  sometimes  found  at  three  or  four  feet  below  the 
surface.  In  a few  instances  a small  amount  of  sticky  material 
was  found  in  the  lower  depths. 

A part  of  this  land  is  cultivated  and  gives  fair  yields,  espe- 
cially during  the  drier  years. 

There  is  another  small  area  of  this  type  lying  in  Sections  13 
and  24  about  one  and  one-half  miles  east  of  Black  River  Falls. 
A considerable  portion  of  this  area  is  also  under  cultivation, 


GROUP  OF  SANDY  SOILS. 


41 


and  in  improved  farm  land.  Over  both  of  these  tracts,  the 
surface  is  level  to  very  slightly  undulating.  On  the  slight  eleva- 
tions, the  surface  is  lighter  colored  and  better  drained  than  the 
lower  areas.  During  wet  years  there  is  sometimes  an  excess  of 
moisture,  but  during  dry  season,  this  soil  is  much  better  sup- 
plied with  moisture  than  the  typical  Boone  fine  sand.  Because 
of  this  condition  and  the  presence  of  clay  in  deep  subsoil,  this 
phase  is  considered  to  be  a better  soil  than  the  typical  Boone 
fine  sand,  and  one  which  is  capable  of  being  more  highly  im- 
proved. 

PLAINFIELD  SAND 

Extent  and  distribution. — The  Plainfield  sand  is  located  on 
flat-topped  benches  or  terraces  wThich  rise  abruptly  from  the 
Black  River,  and  extend  back  to  the  high  bluff  land  on  either 
side.  In  places  there  are  several  levels  or  steps  of  from  fifteen 
to  forty  feet  elevation  each  up  from  the  river  bottom  to  the 
land  of  the  highest  terrace  on  which  the  residence  portion  of 
the  city  of  Black  River  Falls  stands.  This  terrace  level  extends 
several  miles  eastward  along  Morrison  and  Levis  Creeks  and 
narrows  again  to  a narrow  bench  above  Hatfield  in  Clark  county. 
In  the  southern  end  of  the  county,  only  narrow  strips  of  this 
soil  are  found  in  or  bordering  the  river  bottom.  Narrow  strips 
of  this  soil  are  found  in  Trempealeau  and  Beef  River  valleys 
also. 

Description. — The  typical  soil  of  the  Plainfield  sand  consists 
of  a yellowish-brown  sand  of  medium  texture  extending  to  an 
average  depth  of  eight  to  ten  inches.  The  structure  of  the  soil 
is  loose  and  open,  and  there  is  present  a considerable  amount  of 
iron,  which  gives  the  rusty  color  and  a slight  loaminess  in  places. 
It  also  carries  a small  amount  of  organic  matter,  but  the  color 
indicates  a higher  content  than  actually  exists.  A little  gravel 
is  seen  upon  the  surface  in  some  places,  and  a small  amount  of 
fine  gravel  is  mixed  with  the  soil.  The  subsoil  consists  of  a 
yellow  medium  sand,  which  usually  becomes  coarser  in  texture 
with  increased  depth.  The  subsoil  always  contains  more  gravel 
than  the  surface  soil.  Where  the  subsoil  contains  considerable 
iron,  as  is  the  case  in  spots  where  the  drainage  has  been  im- 
peded for  any  reason,  the  material  has  a brownish  or  sometimes 
a reddish  color,  but  this  usually  fades  as  the  depth  increases. 


42 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY 


Topography  and  drainage. — The  topography  of  this  soil  is 
level,  the  only  variations  being  where  streams  have  cut  across 
the  terraces  to  the  river  bottom  or  at  the  abrupt  rises  from  one 
terrace  level  to  another.  Where  specially  marked,  the  terrace 
intervals  are  indicated  by  cross-lining  over  the  color  represent- 
ing this  soil. 

Because  of  its  generally  loose  and  open  character  and  the 
porous  condition  of  the  subsoil,  this  soil  is  generally  well 
drained,  and  water  passes  through  it  so  readily  that  crops  are 
liable  to  suffer  for  lack  of  water  in  any  spell  of  dry  weather. 

Present  agricultural  development. — This  soil  is  an  extensive 
type  in  the  central  part  of  the  county.  Large  parts  of  it  remain 
uncultivated.  The  cultivated  portion  is  occupied  largely  by 
Polish  people  or  Indians  who  cultivate  small  tracts.  The  vege- 
tation of  the  uncultivated  portions  consists  of  small  scrubby 
oak,  Jack  and  Norway  pine,  poplar,  birch,  oak,  cherry.  Sweet 
fern  and  blueberry  brush  cover  the  ground. 

From  twenty  to  thirty  per  cent  of  the  type  has  been  cleared 
and  cultivated  at  one  time,  but  a considerable  number  of 
farms  have  been  abandoned,  and  no  crops  are  being  grown  upon 
them  at  the  present  time.  The  chief  crops  grown  at  the  pres- 
ent time  and  the  yields  secured  during  the  most  favorable  years 
are  as  follows:  Corn,  15  to  25  bushels;  oats,  20  to  25  bushels; 

buckwheat,  12  to  16  bushels;  and  potatoes,  100  to  150  bushels 
per  acre.  Potatoes  form  the  chief  cash  crop,  and  do  better 
than  any  of  the  other  crops  grown. 

In  a few  cases  white  beans  are  grown  on  this  soil,  and  the 
yield  is  as  high  as  ten  bushels  per  acre  in  favorable  seasons. 
Cucumbers  are  grown  to  some  extent  in  the  vicinity  of  Hatfield. 
The  yields  of  all  crops  vary  greatly  with  character  of  the  season, 
and  the  treatment  given  the  soil.  Under  most  favorable  condi- 
tions, very  fair  yields  of  clover  and  of  mixed  alsike  clover  and 
rye  hay  are  obtained;  frequently  fair  corn  is  grown.  But  the 
failures  of  crops  are  frequent  on  this  soil,  and  because  of  the 
poor  pasture  afforded,  this  soil  is  not  well  adapted  to  dairy  or 
general  farming. 

Some  of  the  Polish  farmers  maintain  a considerable  number 
of  young  stock  by  grazing  them  over  large  areas  of  this  brushy 
undeveloped  soil,  and  on  the  flat  shallow  marshes  which  lie  at 
the  borders  of  this  type  of  soil.  It  is  very  difficult,  however, 


Wis.  Geol.  and  Natural  Hist.  Survey 


Plate  III 


View  showing  the  topography  and  vegetation  conditions  in  the  sand  and  marsh 
country  in  the  east  end  of  Jackson  coimty.  Marsh  grass  in  the  fore- 
ground, willows  and  tamarack  clump  in  background. 


VIEW  OF  CORN  ON  PLAINFIELD  SAND. 

This  shows  about  an  average  crop  where  no  fertilizers  have  been  used.  The  stand 
was  fair  but  the  corn  was  short,  and  the  yield  low. 


GROUP  OF  SANDY  SOILS. 


43 


to  raise  enough  feed  on  this  soil  to  keep  any  considerable  num- 
ber of  cattle  through  the  long  winters. 

Land  is  very  cheap  on  most  of  this  soil  type.  From  six  to 
fifteen  dollars  an  acre  represents  the  selling  price  of  much  of  it. 
In  the  Trempealeau  and  Beef  River  valleys  the  soil  is  somewhat 
higher  priced  due  to  the  presence  of  better  soils  in  the  vicinity. 

PLAINFIELD  FINE  SAND 

Extent  and  distribution. — This  soil  is  practically  all  confined 
to  the  areas  bordering  Robinson  Creek  in  the  townships  of  Man- 
chester and  Millston.  Like  the  Plainfield  sand,  this  soil  occupies 
the  highest  terrace  level  along  the  Black  River  valley  and  extends 
back  in  a practically  level  plane  eastward  to  Millston.  The 
texture  of  the  soil  seems  to  be  slightly  coarser  at  the  east  end 
than  at  the  west  end  of  the  area,  but  no  definite  boundary  can 
well  be  established  as  the  change  is  not  uniform  nor  distinct. 

Description. — The  surface  soil  of  the  Plainfield  fine  sand  con- 
sists of  a brownish-gray  or  yellowish  loose  fine  sand  extending 
to  a depth  of  about  eight  inches.  The  surface  two  inches  con- 
tains more  organic  matter,  making  it  a brown  or  dark  brown 
in  its  virgin  state.  This  is  underlain  by  a yellow  loose,  fine 
sand  which  extends  to  a depth  below  the  reach  of  the  soil  auger. 
In  texture,  structure,  and  color  this  type  is  quite  similar  to  the 
Boone  fine  sand,  but  differs  from  that  type  in  origin  and  topog- 
raphy. Like  the  Boone  fine  sand,  it  contains  only  a very  small 
quantity  of  organic  matter,  and  is  in  an  acid  condition. 

Native  vegetation. — Only  a small  part  of  this  soil  is  under 
cultivation,  the  farms  on  it  being  confined  to  a small  group  near 
Shamrock,  near  Millston,  and  at  the  Sandy  Plains  School  in  the 
center  of  the  area.  The  great  majority  of  the  soil  is  covered 
with  a second  growth  of  Jack  and  Norway  Pines,  oak,  poplar, 
white  birch,  and  hazel  brush.  A few  large  white  pines  in  the 
vicinity  of  Millston  are  the  only  remnants  of  an  original  Nor- 
way and  White  Pine  forest  covering  the  area. 

Present  agricultural  development. — There  are  only  a few 
farms  under  regular  cultivation  on  this  soil,  and  the  farming 
is  not  of  a very  progressive  kind.  The  farms  are  small  and 
considerable  parts  of  the  cleared  area  lie  fallow  or  abandoned 
where  once  cultivated.  The  crops  grown  consist  of  rye,  corn, 


44 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY 


buckwheat,  and  potatoes.  Where  grass  marshes  and  stream 
bottom  land  adjoin  this  soil,  it  is  possible  to  keep  young  stock 
and  a few  dairy  cows.  The  soil  is  subject  to  drought,  and  does 
not  support  a good  quality  of  pasture  when  dry  spells  occur 
in  the  summer  season. 

In  favorable  seasons  on  new  ground  corn  yields  20  to 
25  bushels,  rye  15  bushels,  oats  20  bushels.  Beans  and 
cucumbers  are  grown  by  some  of  the  farmers.  The  raising 
of  special  cash  crops  is  limited  because  of  the  hauling 
distance  to  the  railroad  and  the  sandy  roads.  Potatoes  yield 
100  to  125  bushels.  Wild  land  sells  for  from  five  to  ten  dollars 
an  acre;  improved  land  for  from  twenty  to  twenty-five  dollars. 

PLAINFIELD  SANDY  LOAM 

The  Plainfield  sandy  loam  is  a brown  sandy  loam  sixteen  to 
eighteen  inches  deep,  resting  on  a subsoil  which  becomes  lighter 
in  color,  and  if  anything  a little  lighter  in  texture  with  depth, 
and  passes  usually  at  about  thirty  inches  into  a yellowish  sand. 
The  lower  part  of  the  soil  section  thus  resembles  that  of  the 
Plainfield  sand. 

In  Squaw  Creek  Valley  this  soil  is  reddish  or  chocolate- 
colored  in  places,  indicating  the  presence  of  a great  deal  of  iron 
due  to  a formerly  poorly  drained  condition.  This  soil  is  not 
an  extensive  one.  It  is  associated  with  the  Plainfield  sand  soil, 
and  includes  several  small  areas  bordering  the  river  bottom  or 
tributary  streams  south  of  Black  River  Palls. 

This  type  has  the  same  origin  as  the  Plainfield  types,  and  also 
supports  about  the  same  scrubby  growth. 

From  an  agricultural  standpoint,  it  is  somewhat  better  than 
the  sand  type,  but  yields  are  lower,  and  special  care  is  needed 
in  cultivating  and  fertilizing  this  type. 

VESPER  SANDY  LOAM 

This  soil  is  mapped  chiefly  south  and  east  of  Merrillan,  and 
covers  a total  of  about  three  square  miles  of  area. 

The  surface  soil  is  variable,  running  from  a fine  sand  and 
sandy  loam  to  a sticky,  clayey  sandy  loam.  The  subsoil  at  six 
to  twenty-four  inches  is  a mottled  or  bluish  clay  loam,  contain- 
ing sandstones  or  shale  fragments  of  small  size.  In  some  cases, 


GROUP  OF  SANDY  SOILS 


45 


white  sand  or  sandstone  rock  lies  at  thirty  to  thirty-six  inches, 
but  generally  the  soil  is  over  three  feet  deep. 

The  topography  is  nearly  level  and  the  drainage  is  often  defi- 
cient both  because  of  the  level  topography  and  the  impervious 
subsoil.  Where  the  surface  soil  is  more  sandy,  and  the  sub- 
soil clay  layer  lies  at  twenty-four  to  thirty  inches  or  below  this 
soil  is  not  too  wet  to  raise  fair  crops.  Several  small  clearings 
are  cutivated  and  corn,  beans,  potatoes,  and  rye  are  grown. 

Most  of  the  soil  is  uncleared,  and  the  vegetation  consists  of 
oak,  poplar,  jack  pine,  and  willow  brush.  Moss  and  leather  leaf 
cover  the  surface  of  the  ground. 

CHEMICAL  COMPOSITION  AND  FERTILITY  OF  SANDY 

SOILS 

The  sandy  soils  are  generally  lower  in  content  of  phosphorus 
and  nitrogen  than  the  heavier  soils.  The  fine  sands  and  sandy 
loams  are  somewhat  better  supplied  than  the  sands.  Per  acre, 
eight  inches  of  soil,  the  sands  have  from  900  to  1,000  pounds  of 
nitrogen,  and  about  four  hundred  pounds  of  phosphorus,  while 
the  fine  sands  and  sandy  loams  have  from  1,400  to  1,600  pounds 
of  nitrogen,  and  fivS  hundred  to  eight  hundred  pounds  of  phos- 
phorus. The  potassium  amounts  to  from  twenty  to  twenty- 
five  thousand  pounds  per  acre. 

In  some  respects  sandy  soils  have  advantages  over  heavier 
soils.  They  become  drier  and  therefore  warmer  and  can  be 
worked  earlier  in  the  spring  and  more  quickly  after  rains  than 
heavier  soils.  These  advantages  are  particularly  important  in 
regions  of  short  growing  periods.  But  when  the  soil  is  too 
sandy  it  does  not  hold  sufficient  water  from  one  rainfall  to 
another  to  satisfy  the  needs  of  the  growing  crops  and  it  there- 
fore suffers  from  drought.  Moreover,  some  sandy  soils  are 
lower  in  their  supply  of  the  chemical  elements  demanded  by 
crops  than  heavier  soils.  When  these  two  factors  become  too 
low  they  limit  the  profitable  farming  of  these  soils.  In  the 
mapping  of  the  Soil  Survey  those  soils  which  are  classed  as 
sandy  loams  have  fairly  good  water  holding  capacity,  and  when 
their  fertility  is  properly  maintained  their  good  qualities  in 
regard  to  warmth  and  earliness  can  be  taken  advantage  of  and 
they  can  be  farmed  with  profit.  But  soils  which  are  classified 
as  sands  and  some  of  the  fine  sands  do  not  have  sufficient  water 


46 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY 


holding  capacity  and  their  use  for  the  growth  of  staple  crops 
is  ordinarily  unprofitable,  unless  unusual  skill  is  used  in  their 
management.  It  must  be  kept  distinctly  in  mind,  however,  that 
all  types  as  mapped  show  some  variation  in  texture  or  fineness 
of  grain.  The  chief  factor  limiting  their  agricultural  use  is 
that  of  water  holding  capacity.  This  depends  chiefly  on  the 
texture  or  fineness  of  grain  and  can  not  be  affected  by  any 
treatment  it  is  practicable  to  give  them.  The  water  holding 
capacity  can  be  somewhat  increased  by  increasing  the  amount 
of  organic  matter,  but  this  is  a comparatively  slow  process 
and  the  amount  of  organic  matter  it  is  practicable  to  develop 
and  maintain  in  these  soils  will  increase  their  water  holding 
capacity  only  to  a limited  extent. 

When  a sufficient  supply  of  active  organic  matter  is  devel- 
oped in  these  soils  more  of  the  phosphorus  and  potassium  will 
undoubtedly  be  made  available,  but  the  use  of  fertilizers  con- 
taining these  elements  in  a more  readily  available  form  is  de- 
sirable whenever  these  soils  are  farmed. 

The  starting  point  in  the  improvement  of  these  soils  is  the 
development  of  active  organic  matter  through  the  growth  of 
legumes  which  are  able  to  secure  their  nitrogen  supply  from 
the  atmosphere.  But  before  legumes  can  be  grown  with  the 
greatest  success  the  liming  of  the  soil  is  necessary.  The  growth 
of  a good  crop  of  mammoth  clover  or  soybeans  through  the  use 
of  lime  and  mineral  fertilizers  containing  phosphorus  and 
potassium  is  the  best  means  of  supplying  this  nitrogen  and  or- 
ganic matter.  In  most  cases  this  legume  should  be  plowed 
under  as  a green  manuring  crop. 

Probably  the  best  way  to  get  clover  started  is  to  seed  with  a 
small  grain.  By  using  a light  seeding  of  rye,  disked  or  har- 
rowed in  and  seeded  to  clover  in  the  spring,  a good  stand  can 
usually  be  secured.  The  seed  should  be  put  in  a little  deeper 
than  on  heavy  soils,  and  the  drill  should  be  followed  by  a corru- 
gated roller,  or  if  this  implement  is  not  at  hand,  an  ordinary 
roller,  followed  by  a light  harrow  should  be  used.  When  clover 
is  seeded  with  a small  grain  in  this  way  the  growing  grain  helps 
to  hold  the  soil  in  place  and  prevent  blowing  of  the  loose  soil 
by  the  wind. 

As  the  result  of  careful  experiments  on  extremely  sandy  soils 
it  appears  that  the  best  crop  rotation  for  this  class  of  land 


Plate  IV 


P o o 
P4  43 
oo  cs 

£ T3  2 

o g 

.2  o) 

. <d  X 


I — ' »-<  tuo 

P c 

P St 

fe  w ^ 
CO  'S'C 
CO 

H fl  (3 

S °-2 

o -s* 
P >2  2 
co  PmS 


5 ?- 

is  I! 

O o 
tf  12  . 
o S2 


H u £ 
O g® 

hi  o« 

° :e 


o 


FIELD  OF  RYE  ON  PLAINFIELD  SAND  AT  HANCOCK,  WISCONSIN. 

922.  Rotation  corn,  rye  and  clover.  A light  application  of  manure  and  acid  phosphate  was  given  the  corn  crop. 


GROUP  OF  SANDY  SOILS 


47 


consists  of  rye,  clover,  and  corn.  If  the  fertility  is  extremely 
low,  it  will  be  advisable  to  plow  under  the  entire  clover  crop. 
If  the  fertility  is  fair  the  first  crop  may  be  cut  for  bay  and  the 
second  plowed  under.  While  potatoes  are  quite  extensively 
grown  on  these  extremely  sandy  soils  this  crop  is  not  as  well 
adapted  to  the  sand  soils  as  to  sandy  loam  types.  It  has  been 
shown  by  actual  field  tests  that  the  yields  of  corn,  for  example, 
can  be  more  readily  increased  on  the  sand  soil  than  can  the 
yield  of  potatoes.  The  potato  when  grown  on  sand  soils  does 
not  respond  to  methods  of  soil  improvement  as  readily  as  when 
grown  on  soils  which  contain  somewhat  more  silt  and  clay.  The 
sandy  loams  and  fine  sands  and  fine  sandy  loams  are  much  bet- 
ter adapted  to  potato  culture  than  are  the  sand  soils.  It  is 
therefore  advisable  to  reduce,  where  possible,  the  acreage  of 
potatoes  on  sand  soils. 

With  an  increased  acreage  of  corn  it  will  be  possible  to  put 
up  enough  silage  so  silage  may  be  used  for  summer  feeding. 
With  this  practice  less  pasture  will  be  required,  and  this  again 
will  be  desirable  since  the  sand  soils  do  not  supply  good  grazing, 
and  are  not  well  adapted  to  any  of  the  grasses.  This  system 
would  make  possible  keeping  more  stock,  and  with  the  increased 
supply  of  manure  the  fertility  of  the  land  could  be  more  readily 
maintained. 

When  properly  managed  alfalfa  can  be  successfully  grown 
on  very  sandy  soils.  For  further  information  on  the  manage- 
ment of  soils,  see  Bui.  299,  Wis.  Exp.  Sta. 


48 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY 


CHAPTER  Y 

GROUP  OF  SOILS  LACKING  GOOD  DRAINAGE 

DUNNING  SAND 

Extent  and  distribution. — The  Dunning  sand  is  confined  to 
the  sandy  portion  of  the  county  east  of  Black  River,  and  in 
mapping,  it  was  frequently  made  to  include  some  of  the  land 
lying  between  the  marshes  and  the  Boone  fine  sand.  The  soil 
is  not  all  black  and  not  all  distinctly  flat  marsh  border  land. 
Small  areas  of  higher  land  where  the  drainage  is  poor,  and 
where  grass  swales  and  depressions  are  too  numerous  to  sep- 
arate, were  included  in  this  type. 

Description. — The  surface  soil  of  the  Dunning  sand  consists 
of  brown  to  nearly  black,  medium,  or  fine  sand  six  to  twelve 
inches  deep,  containing  a high  percentage  of  organic  matter, 
which  imparts  to  the  soil  its  dark  color.  The  subsoil  consists 
of  a grayish  or  whitish  fine  to  medium  sand,  which  has  a leached 
or  washed  appearance,  and  extends  to  a depth  beyond  three 
feet.  In  places,  the  subsoil  is  stained  by  iron  oxide  and  bluish 
mottling  is  not  uncommon.  The  depth  of  the  surface  soil  varies, 
but  in  other  particulars  the  type  is  uniform. 

Topography  and  drainage. — The  surface  of  the  soil  is  always 
low  and  generally  level.  It  is  very  little  higher  than  the  level 
of  the  marshes  and  slightly  lower  than  the  bordering  sands  of 
light  color.  On  account  of  its  low  position  and  the  nearness 
of  the  water  table  to  the  surface,  the  natural  drainage  is  poor, 
and  as  a result  the  type  is  too  wet  for  ordinary  farm  crops,  ex- 
cept during  the  dry  portion  of  the  summer. 

This  type  of  soil  is  an  extensive  one  in  connection  with  the 
sand  and  marsh  country  of  the  east  half  of  the  county.  Agricul- 
turally it  is  not  important  as  the  soil  is  generally  too  wet  to 
raise  crops,  and  very  little  of  it  is  under  cultivation. 

Origin. — The  Potsdam  sandstone  is  the  parent  rock  from  which 
the  Dunning  sand  was  derived.  It  has  been  reworked,  trans- 


GROUP  OF  SOILS  LACKING  GOOD  DRAINAGE. 


49 


ported,  and  deposited  by  the  action  of  the  water,  but  to  what 
extent,  it  is  impossible  to  say.  Under  moist  conditions,  it  has 
acquired  a black  color  through  the  growth  and  decay  of  vege- 
tation. The  whitish  color  of  the  subsoil  may  be  due  to  the 
leaching  of  organic  acids.  All  of  the  soil  is  in  a very  acid  con- 
dition at  the  present  time. 

Native  vegetation. — The  native  vegetation  consists  of  Jack 
pine,  poplar,  sweet  fern,  common  ferns,  mosses,  blue  stem,  and 
several  species  of  marsh  grass.  There  is  no  timber  of  any  value 
on  the  type  at  the  present  time. 

Present  agricultural  development. — As  the  type  is  low,  poorly 
drained,  and  acid,  it  is  not  cultivated  except  in  a few  places. 
It  is  devoted  chiefly  to  the  production  of  wild  marsh  hay  and 
to  pasture.  Where  cultivated  corn  and  buckwheat  are  the  crops 
most  grown.  One  farmer  reported  a yield  of  forty  bushels  of 
corn,  and  150  bushels  of  potatoes  per  acre.  Before  this  type 
can  be  farmed  extensively,  it  must  be  drained,  properly  fertilized 
and  limed. 

This  soil  has  low  natural  fertility,  but  when  properly  drained, 
limed  and  treated  with  stable  manure  or  phosphate  and  potash 
fertilizers  it  can  be  made  to  produce  good  yields  of  potatoes, 
corn,  oats,  rye  and  clover. 

For  a discussion  of  the  use  of  lime  and  commercial  fertilizers 
see  pages  71  and  73. 

GENESEE  FINE  SANDY  LOAM 

The  Genesee  fine  sandy  loam  occupies  a large  part  of  the 
bottom  lands  along  the  Black  River.  The  soil  occupies  the  same 
level  as  the  Genesee  silt  loam,  but  usually  lies  on  slight  eleva- 
tions from  one  to  four  or  five  feet  above  the  silt  loam.  The 
soil  is  quite  variable  due  to  its  manner  of  deposit  and  occasional 
overflow.  The  surface  soil  varies  from  a very  fine  sand  to  a 
heavy  fine  sandy  loam  or  loam.  The  subsoil  is  generally  more 
sandy  than  the  surface.  The  color  varies  also  from  light  brown 
to  a chocolate  or  reddish-brown. 

This  soil  also  is  in  large  part  timbered  or  brush  covered  bottom 
land,  but  natural  open  areas  or  cleared  portions  are  under  cul- 
tivation. Generally  occupying  slightly  higher  elevations  than 
the  Genesee  silt  loam,  it  is  not  affected  by  the  smaller  floods 
so  that  during  many  seasons,  portions  of  this  soil  can  be  culti- 


50 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY 


vated.  Good  crops  of  corn,  oats,  and  potatoes  can  be  grown. 
This  land  cannot  well  be  permanently  improved  and  protected 
from  floods,  however,  so  that  its  agricultural  value  is  compara- 
tively low. 

GENESEE  FINE  SAND 

This  type  includes  several  small  areas  of  low-lying  fine  sand 
soil  on  the  first  bottom  land  bordering  the  Black  River  south 
of  Melrose.  The  type  is  not  extensive  and  because  of  its  being 
subject  to  frequent  overflow,  its  agricultural  value  is  low.  Its 
use  is  confined  to  pasture  and  wood  lot  purposes. 

GENESEE  SILT  LOAM 

The  Genesee  silt  loam  occurs  as  first  bottom  land  along  the 
larger  streams,  and  is  subject  to  occasional  overflow  from  the 
streams.  The  soil  is  generally  a grayish  or  drab  silt  loam  with 
a compact  mottled  or  iron  stained  silty  clay  loam  subsoil. 
Sometimes  the  surface  two  or  three  inches  of  soil  has  a dark 
brown  or  black  color  due  to  greater  amounts  of  organic  matter 
in  it. 

The  greatest  amount  of  this  soil  occurs  in  the  overflow  lands 
bordering  the  Black  River  from  the  city  of  Black  River  Falls 
southward.  Some  was  mapped  along  the  Trempealeau  River 
and  tributaries.  The  soil  is  a grayish-brown  heavy  silt  loam 
with  a mottled  iron-stained  heavy  silty  clay  subsoil.  Variations 
from  this  description  occur  where  slight  knolls  of  very  fine  sandy 
loam  occur,  or  sandy  streaks  along  abandoned  slough  banks  and 
water  courses. 

In  Sections  4 and  9 (Township  20,  Range  4 West),  this  soil 
lies  on  different  levels  and  portions  of  it  less  subject  to  over- 
flow are  cultivated.  Grass  and  willow  swales  occur  in  the  higher 
levels  where  the  soil  is  springy  and  wet. 

The  greater  part  of  the  Genesee  silt  loam  bottoms  are  timbered 
or  brush-covered.  The  trees  consist  of  large  elms,  ash,  soft 
maple,  birch,  and  willow.  In  a few  places,  open  areas  occur 
where  the  vegetation  is  mainly  grass  or  small  brush. 

The  land  is  used  largely  for  pasture  land  and  wood  lots.  Some 
of  the  higher  levels  of  small  extent  could  be  improved  by  tiling, 
but  most  of  the  soil  is  too  low  and  subject  to  too  much  overflow 
to  be  profitably  drained. 


GROUP  OF  SOILS  LACKING  GOOD  DRAINAGE. 


51 


WABASH  LOAM 

This  soil  is  also  of  alluvial  origin,  and  being  situated  in  the 
valley  bottoms  bordering  the  streams,  and  subject  to  more  or 
less  overflow,  the  texture  of  the  soil  is  not  very  uniform. 

The  surface  soil  of  these  bottoms  is  generally  a dark  brown, 
drab  or  black  loam  or  silt  loam  with  a generally  heavy  mottled 
clay  loam  subsoil  which,  however,  may  have  sandy  layers  in  it. 
The  surface  soil  also  may  be  strewn  with  sand,  gravel,  stones, 
etc.,  and  sandy  layers  may  be  encountered  at  any  depth  within 
the  soil  section. 

The  Wabash  loam  is  found  in  a number  of  valley  bottoms 
scattered  through  the  west  half  of  the  county.  The  soil  type 
is  not  extensive,  as  it  comprises  narrow  strips  of  bottom  land 
only.  Very  little  of  the  land  is  under  cultivation,  most  of  it  being 
generally  too  low  and  wet.  It  is,  however,  almost  entirely  used 
for  pasture  as  the  soil  occurs  on  the  bottoms  of  the  narrow  val- 
leys whose  slopes  are  also  often  used  for  pasture. 

WABASH  SILT  LOAM 

The  Wabash  silt  loam  consists  of  alluvial  deposits,  chiefly 
along  the  upland  streams.  The  areas  are  quite  narrow,  varying 
from  strips  too  small  to  map  up  to  areas  one-half  mile  or  so 
wide.  Because  of  its  stream  deposition  in  narrow  bands  and 
the  meandering  of  the  streams,  it  is  not  very  uniform.  Gener- 
ally it  consists  of  a grayish  or  light-brown  silt  loam  to  about 
eighteen  inches,  below  which  as  far  as  the  auger  will  reach 
occurs  a black,  mucky,  silty  loam.  In  certain  places,  however, 
these  conditions  may  be  reversed. 

A variation  from  the  general  black  or  drab  color  of  this  soil 
is  found  along  the  Trempealeau  River  bottom  near  Taylor. 
There  the  surface  soil  is  reddish-brown  or  chocolate  colored  due 
to  large  amounts  of  iron  in  it.  There  is  a quite  general  layer 
of  spongy  bog  iron  ore  lying  at  from  three  to  eighteen  inches 
beneath  the  surface  soil  in  this  latter  area.  This  hard,  chunky, 
or  gravelly  layer  is  six  to  eight  inches  thick,  and  is  underlaid 
by  sand  or  mottled  or  reddish  sandy  clay  loam. 

The  Wabash  silt  loam  is  widely  distributed  in  the  valley  bot- 
toms of  the  west  half  of  the  county.  This  soil  because  of  its  low 
position  is  not  generally  under  cultivation. 


52 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY 


Much  of  this  type  has  poor  drainage  and  a good  deal  of  it  is 
subject  to  one  or  more  overflows  each  year,  and  consequently 
cannot  be  depended  upon  for  cultivation. 

This  soil  is  mostly  of  alluvial  origin.  The  dark  color  is  due 
to  accumulations  of  organic  matter  from  decaying  vegetation, 
the  growth  of  which  was  favored  by  moist  conditions.  Where 
there  is  a covering  of  light-colored  material  over  the  dark  soil, 
this  covering  is  often  colluvial  in  origin,  having  been  washed 
down  from  the  adjoining  slopes. 

This  soil  is  used  almost  exclusively  for  pasture  and  hay  land 
for  which  it  is  especially  valuable.  Occasionally  a fairly  well 
drained  patch  is  cropped,  corn  doing  especially  well  on  it,  yields 
of  75  to  90  bushels  per  acre  being  reported.  Hay  will  yield 
from  two  to  three  tons  per  acre.  Owing  to  the  narrowness  of 
most  of  the  areas  and  the  low  position  of  the  land,  it  is  doubtful 
if  much  of  this  type  could  be  successfully  drained.  Some  of 
the  broader  expanses  where  there  is  sufficient  slope  could  be 
much  improved  by  installing  tile  drains. 


MISCELLANEOUS  SOILS. 


53 


CHAPTER  VI 
MISCELLANEOUS  SOILS 

PEAT 

(. Including  the  Shallow  Phase) 

Description. — The  material  classified  as  peat  consists  chiefly 
of  decaying  vegetable  matter  in  varying  stages  of  decomposition, 
with  which  there  is  mixed  a small  but  varying  amount  of  min- 
eral matter  or  fine  earth.  In  color  the  peat  varies  from  a brown 
to  black.  The  depth  of  the  material  forming  this  type  is  also 
extremely  variable,  and  on  the  soil  map  has  been  grouped  into 
two  phases.  The  typical  peat  is  over  18  inches  deep  and  may 
be  as  great  as  15  feet,  although  the  average  would  probably  be 
4 or  5 feet.  The  shallow  phase  of  peat  varies  from  6 or  8 inches 
to  18  inches  in  depth.  Usually  the  shallow  peat  is  more  thor- 
oughly decayed  and  when  this  is  the  case  it  is  of  a darker  color. 
The  earthy  subsoil  under  most  of  the  peat  consists  of  fine  sand. 

The  color  of  the  peat  and  the  extent  to  which  the  vegetable 
matter  has  decayed  are  also  variable,  and  these  variations  are 
of  importance,  although  they  have  not  been  indicated  upon  the 
soil  map,  except  as  they  are  brought  out  by  the  differences  in 
depth  of  the  peaty  material.  By  far  the  greater  proportion  of 
the  deep  peat,  including  the  large  tracts  in  the  eastern  part 
of  the  county,  is  brown  in  color  having  a raw,  fibrous  structure, 
showing  that  it  has  not  reached  an  advanced  stage  of  decompo- 
sition. It  has  about  the  color  of  fine-cut  tobacco  and  it  is  so 
raw,  fibrous  or  stringy  that  in  many  cases  the  stems,  leaves  and 
grasses  or  moss  from  which  it  is  formed  can  still  be  recognized. 
This  raw  condition  often  extends  to  depths  of  from  3 to  6 or 
more  feet,  but  usually  the  lower  depths  are  somewhat  more 
thoroughly  decayed  and  of  a darker  color  than  the  surface.  As 
a whole,  the  peat  of  the  shallow  phase  is  somewhat  more  de- 
cayed and  of  a darker  color  than  the  deep  peat,  and  in  a few 
places,  because  of  the  larger  content  of  fine  earth  approaches 


54 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY 


a muck  in  composition.  Such  dark  colored  areas,  which  are 
well  decomposed,  however,  are  of  rather  limited  extent. 

As  indicated  above,  the  earthy  subsoil  under  the  Peat  con- 
sists for  the  most  part  of  a white  or  grayish  fine  sand.  There 
are  two  exceptions  to  this  which  are  worthy  of  note.  The  peat 
areas  which  are  associated  with  and  border  the  Vesper  fine  sandy 
loam  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  county,  are  frequently  un- 
derlain by  clay  or  shale  the  same  as  that  which  forms  the  sub- 
soil of  the  Vesper  types.  These  peat  areas  are  of  limited  extent 
and  form  only  a small  proportion  of  the  total  area  of  peat  in 
the  county.  The  other  exception  is  found  in  the  western  part 
of  the  county  where  there  are  small  areas  of  peat  land  along 
the  bottoms  of  some  of  the  drainage  ways  where  the  surround- 
ing uplands  are  heavy.  In  these  places  the  subsoil  of  the  peat 
is  frequently  heavy  in  character,  but  here  also  this  variation 
is  very  limited  in  extent.  In  general  it  may  be  said  that  the 
heavy  subsoil  is  confined  chiefly  to  regions  where  the  subsoil 
of  the  adjoining  upland  types  is  also  heavy,  but  in  such  places 
the  subsoil  is  not  uniformly  heavy.  This  soil  map  does  not 
show  this  variation  in  the  subsoil,  because  of  its  limited  extent. 

Extent  and  distribution. — Peat  is  the  third  most  extensive 
type  of  land  in  Jackson  county.  It  covers  15.7  per  cent  of  the 
area  or  slightly  more  than  100,000  acres.  Of  this  amount  about 
90  per  cent  is  deep  peat  and  about  10  per  cent  is  shallow  peat. 
The  peat  is  more  extensive  in  the  eastern  half  ‘than  elsewhere. 
In  the  towns  of  City  Point  and  Bear  Bluff  there  ar  over  60 
square  miles  of  continuous  marsh  land  in  this  county  with  more 
of  the  same  type  of  land  in  the  adjoining  parts  of  Wood  and 
Juneau  counties.  In  the  eastern  portion  of  the  county  the 
peat  is  closely  associated  with  extensive  sand  areas  of  the  Boone 
and  Plainfield  series  and  with  the  Dunning  soils  v7hich  are 
marsh  border  types.  In  the  western  portion  the  peat  is  found 
as  long  narrow  strips  along  the  drainage  ways.  The  shallow 
peat  is  mostly  found  around  the  margins  of  the  large  marshes 
and  as  small  patches  associated  with  the  marsh  border  soils. 
It  may  be  considered  as  a gradation  type  between  the  Dunning 
soils  on  the  one  hand  and  the  deep  peat  on  the  other. 

Topography  and  drainage. — The  tracts  of  peat  soil  are  all 
relatively  low,  flat,  and  naturally  very  poorly  drained.  On 
many  of  the  marshes  water  stands  on  the  surface  during  the 


MISCELLANEOUS  SOILS. 


55 


spring  and  early  summer.  In  this  soggy  condition  the  land  is 
often  so  soft  that  it  will  not  support  the  weight  of  stock.  Dur- 
ing the  late  summer,  especially  during  dry  seasons  the  marshes 
dry  out  so  that  farm  stock  can  safely  go  almost  anywhere,  and 
the  peat  frequently  becomes  so  dry  that  the  danger  from  fires 
is  something  which  must  be  considered.  When  fire  once  gets 
started  in  the  peat  it  is  very  difficult  to  extinguish,  and  some- 
times continues  to  burn  until  stopped  by  the  fall  rains.  Prac- 
tically all  of  the  material  mapped  as  peat  is  sufficiently  high 
in  organic  matter  so  that  it  will  burn  when  dry. 

A number  of  large  drainage  ditches  have  been  extended  into 
and  through  the  large  marsh  tracts,  but  these  only  supply  par- 
tial outlets  and  in  order  to  have  the  land  sufficiently  drained 
for  the  safe  cultivation  of  crops  numerous  lateral  ditches  sup- 
plemented with  tile  drains  are  necessary.  In  the  vicinity  of 
cranberry  marshes  the  drainage  is  restricted  by  the  dams  which 
form  reservoirs  for  storing  water  so  that  the  cranberries  may 
be  flooded  when  necessary.  Outside  of  the  cranberry  marshes 
only  very  few  lateral  ditches  have  been  installed,  so  that  on 
but  few  if  any  tracts  are  the  peat  lands  properly  and  sufficiently 
drained.  From  work  already  done  there  appears  to  be  sufficient 
fall  so  that  from  an  engineering  standpoint  it  would  be  pos- 
sible and  profitable  to  drain  all  of  the  peat  land  in  this  county. 

Native  vegetation. — The  present  timber  growth  on  the  peat 
marshes  consists  of  tamarack,  alder,  poplar,  willows,  and  various 
other  water  loving  trees.  Only  a comparatively  small  propor- 
tion of  the  peat  marshes  are  timbered,  most  of  them  being  open 
and  treeless  or  nearly  so.  The  open  marshes  support  a growth 
of  coarse  marsh  grass,  wire  grass  or  sphagnum  moss,  through 
which  are  scattered  a small  and  stunted  growth  of  water  loving 
shrubs.  Some  of  the  grass  marshes  are  pastured  or  cut  for 
hay.  The  moss  and  trees  are  usually  found  on  the  wettest  parts 
of  the  marsh  while  the  grasses  are  most  common  on  the  parts 
of  the  marsh  land  which  are  better  drained. 

Present  agricultural  development. — While  peat  is  an  exten- 
sive type  in  Jackson  county  it  is  at  present  of  limited  impor- 
tance agriculturally.  Some  cultivation  is  being  attempted  at 
several  points,  notably  on  Trowe’s  Marsh  5 and  6 miles  north- 
west from  Millston,  on  the  King  Marsh  in  Sec.  24  T.  21  N.,  R 
2 W.,  and  on  the  Albright  Marsh  in  Sec.  30  and  31  T.  20  N., 


56  SOIL  SURVEY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY 

R.  1 E.  In  most  of  these  attempts  work  has  been  done  on  a 
rather  large  scale,  tractors  sometimes  being  used.  In  most  cases 
it  has  been  found  that  due  to  insufficient  laterals  or  tile  ditches 
the  drainage  is  not  adequate  and  crop  failures  have  resulted 
because  of  an  excess  of  moisture,  and  on  land  which  during  a 
series  of  dry  seasons  produced  fair  to  good  crops  of  timothy 
hay.  Commercial  fertilizers  and  lime  although  needed,  are  not 
used  to  any  marked  extent  on  the  marshes  now  being  cultivated. 

The  crops  most  commonly  grown  here  on  the  peat  are  buck- 
wheat, rye,  timothy,  potatoes,  root  crops  with  some  cabbage 
and  onions  on  a small  scale.  Some  attempts  are  being  made  to 
grow  corn  but  because  of  the  danger  of  summer  frosts  this  crop 
is  very  uncertain.  These  marshes  can  not  be  considered  as 
being  in  the  corn  belt. 

Various  sized  tracts  of  the  peat  lands  are  being  utilized  to  a 
limited  extent  for  pasture  and  hay,  although  the  wild  marsh 
grasses  have  a low  feeding  value.  These  marshes  are  frequently 
burnt  over  to  destroy  the  dead  grass  and  trash  upon  the  surface, 
and  a fair  stand  of  clean  grass  usually  follows.  While  this  is 
young  and  tender  it  makes  fair  pasture.  If  the  marshes  are 
burnt  off  during  dry  seasons  there  is  danger  of  the  peat  itself 
being  burnt. 

Without  fertilization  the  yields  of  the  crops  mentioned  when 
grown  on  raw  brown,  fibrous  peat  are  usually  low  and  unsatis- 
factory. Where  the  peat  is  well  decayed  and  of  a black  color 
fair  crops  may  be  secured  for  a few  years  without  fertilization, 
but  the  readily  available  mineral  plant  foods  soon  become  ex- 
hausted, when  fertilization  becomes  essential.  Where  the  sur- 
face few  inches  of  the  peat  have  been  burnt  there  is  a concen- 
tration of  the  mineral  elements  sufficient  in  some  cases  to  insure 
two  or  three  fair  crops  but  when  this  is  used  up  fertilization 
is  again  necessary.  The  fire,  if  not  controlled,  however,  may 
prove  to  be  a damage  rather  than  a benefit,  for  deep  holes  may 
be  formed,  and  the  surface  of  the  ground  lowered  to  such  an 
extent  that  the  land  will  no  longer  be  sufficiently  drained. 

In  some  places  an  industry  of  limited  importance  has  devel- 
oped in  the  cutting  of  wire  grass  which  is  cured  like  hay,  baled, 
and  sold  to  the  manufacturers  of  grass  rugs. 

Frosts  on  marsh  land. — It  is  well  known  that  frosts  fre* 
quently  occur  on  marsh  land  where  there  is  no  frost  on  higher 


MISCELLANEOUS  SOILS. 


57 


land.  This  is  partly  because  the  cold  air  which  forms  on  the 
surface  of  all  the  ground  at  night  tends  to  flow  down  and  col- 
lect in  low  places,  but  it  is  also  the  result  of  the  fact  that  the 
loose,  spongy  soil  of  peat  marshes  does  not  conduct  the  heat  re- 
ceived from  the  sun  during  the  day  downward.  In  consequence 
of  this,  the  lower  layers  of  soil  do  not  become  warmed  in  peat 
marshes  as  they  do  in  other  earthy  soils  and  the  little  heat  left 
in  the  surface  inch  or  two  of  soil  is  rapidly  lost  at  night  by 
radiation,  so  that  the  freezing  point  is  frequently  reached  on 
such  soil  when  it  would  not  be  on  more  earthy  soils  such  as 
sandy  loam  or  clay  loam  which  would  conduct  the  heat  down- 
ward better  during  the  day  and  so  keep  warm  farther  into 
the  night. 

This  difficulty  with  peat  marshes  can  be  overcome  to  a cer- 
tain extent  by  heavy  rolling  which,  by  compacting  the  soil,  per- 
mits the  heat  to  be  conducted  downward  more  readily.  It  will 
also  to  a certain  extent  become  less  in  time,  as  the  peat  decom- 
poses and  takes  on  more  of  the  character  of  muck.  Neverthe- 
less, it  must  always  be  expected  that  marsh  land  will  be  more 
subject  to  late  spring  frosts  and  early  fall  frosts  than  high  land. 
It  may  be  stated  as  a general  guide,  that  the  occurrence  of 
killing  frosts  is  as  liable  on  marsh  land  at  any  given  point  as 
it  is  on  upland  soil  having  good  air  drainage  about  150  miles 
farther  north;  in  other  words,  the  marshes  of  Dane  county 
are  as  liable  to  have  a frost  which  will  kill  corn  as  early  as  are 
the  upland  regions  of  Shawano,  Marathon,  or  Clark  counties. 
The  marsh  land  regions  of  Jackson  county  are  liable  to  have 
frost  two  weeks  or  more  earlier  than  the  hill  tops  of  the  same 
latitude.  This  means  that  corn  and  potatoes,  while  safe  crops 
for  the  upland  region,  are  not  safe  crops  for  the  marsh  land 
and  should  not  be  depended  on  as  the  chief  crops. 

CHEMICAL  COMPOSITION  AND  FERTILITY  OF  PEAT 

The  chief  difference  between  peat  soils  and  upland  soils  con- 
sisting largely  of  earthy  matter,  is  that  they  have  relatively 
small  amounts  of  the  mineral  elements  phosphorus,  potassium, 
calcium,  and  magnesium,  and  have  extremely  high  amounts  of 
nitrogen  in  the  organic  matter.  The  average  per  cent  of  phos- 
phorus in  the  peats  in  this  region  so  far  analyzed  is  0.135  per 
cent.  This  means  that  in  an  acre  of  soil  to  a depth  of  a foot 


58 


• SOIL  SURVEY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY 


there  is  approximately  only  675  pounds,  or  in  two  feet  1,350 
pounds  in  comparison  with  upland  soils  which  have  approxi- 
mately twice  these  amounts.  Moreover,  the  acid  condition  of 
these  soils  renders  the  phosphorus  less  available  than  in  a non- 
acid soil. 

The  deficiency  of  potassium  in  these  soils  is  greater  than  that 
of  phosphorus.  They  contain  on  the  average  0.3  per  cent  of 
this  element,  while  good  upland  clay  loam  soils  average  two  per 
cent,  or  over  six  times  as  much  expressed  in  percentage.  When 
the  greater  weight  of  the  upland  soils  is  taken  into  account  it 
will  be  found  that  they  contain  in  the  upper  two  feet  120,000 
pounds  per  acre,  while  the  peat  soils  contain  but  3,000  pounds. 

A large  amount  of  organic  matter  in  these  soils  gives  them 
an  extraordinary  amount  of  nitrogen.  They  average  2.5  per 
cent  of  this  element,  while  the  upland  silt  loam  soils  of  this 
region  contain  but  about  0.12  per  cent  and  this  only  in  the 
surface  eight  inches — the  amount  in  deeper  layers  being  much 
less. 

As  a result  of  this  difference  in  the  chemical  composition  the 
peat  soils  are  very  unbalanced.  Their  rational  treatment  re- 
quires the  use  of  fertilizers  containing  especially  the  elements 
phosphorus  and  potassium.  These  elements  are  contained  in 
relatively  small  amounts  in  barnyard  manure  and  good  applica- 
tions of  manure  will  secure  good  yields  of  crops  on  peat  soils, 
but  manure  contains  large  amounts  of  nitrogen  not  needed  by 
the  peat,  so  that  when  a farm  includes  upland  soils  as  well  as 
peat,  the  manure  should  be  used  on  the  upland  soils  and  com- 
mercial fertilizers  containing  phosphorus  and  potassium  used 
on  the  peat  land. 

On  the  deeper  peats  which  are  in  a very  raw  and  acid  condi- 
tion the  use  of  lime  in  some  form  in  addition  to  the  commer- 
cial fertilizers  will  be  found  profitable.  Occasionally  a marsh 
is  found  on  which  on  account  of  coldness  and  high  acidity  at 
first  nitrification  or  the  chemical  change  by  which  the  nitro- 
gen in  the  organic  matter  becomes  available  to  crops  does  not 
take  place  readily  and  the  use  of  a light  application  of  com- 
posted stable  manure  to  inoculate  the  soil  with  the  proper  organ- 
isms is  very  helpful. 

Crops  and  system  of  farming  on  marsh  lands. — Since  the 
growth  of  corn  and  potatoes  to  which  these  marsh  lands  would 


MISCELLANEOUS  SOILS. 


59 


otherwise  be  well  adapted,  is  limited  in  this  section  on  account 
of  the  danger  from  frost,  the  best  staple  crops  for  this  land 
are  grasses  for  hay  and  pasture,  hardy  root  crops,  and  rye,  and 
to  a less  extent  oats.  When  properly  fertilized  and  limed, 
clover,  alfalfa,  and  other  legumes  can  also  be  grown.  On  fairly 
well  drained  marsh  land  well  decomposed  good  pasture  can  also 
be  developed.  The  compacting  of  the  soil  resulting  from  the 
use  of  this  land  as  pasture  is  also  a great  benefit  to  it.  When 
peat  land  is  placed  under  cultivation  a heavy  roller  should 
be  classed  along  with  implements  necessary  to  its  successful 
management. 

Where  good  pasture  can  be  secured  and  other  conditions  are 
the  most  favorable,  selected  portions  of  these  marshes  can  be 
successfully  utilized  for  dairying  or  stock  raising. 

Certain  special  crops,  such  as  cabbage,  onions,  buckwheat, 
sugar  beets,  and  rape,  are  adapted  to  such  lands  when  well 
drained  and  properly  fertilized.* 

Summarizing  the  peat  situation  for  the  future  agricultural 
development  of  the  peat  lands  such  as  are  found  in  Jackson 
county  it  may  be  suggested  that  before  farming  on  these  lands 
can  be  permanently  successful  there  are  several  conditions  with 
which  it  is  necessary  to  comply. 

1.  It  is  absolutely  necessary  that  the  land  should  be  suf- 
ficiently drained.  Large  outlet  ditches  in  themselves  while  nec- 
essary are  not  sufficient,  and  these  must  be  supplemented  with 
open  laterals  and  tile  drains  before  adequate  drainage  is  insured. 

2.  This  type  of  land  is  low  in  potash,  phosphorus  and  often 
in  lime  and  these  materials  must  be  supplied  in  proper  form 
and  proper  amounts  before  permanent,  profitable  production 
can  be  expected. 

3.  It  must  be  recognized  that  the  danger  from  summer  frosts 
make  such  crops  as  corn  and  potatoes  uncertain,  and  the  crops 
to  be  grown  must  be  those  which  are  not  only  suited  to  the  soil, 
but  also  to  the  climatic  conditions. 

4.  Those  purchasing  this  type  of  land  must  not  only  see 
their  way  clear  to  pay  for  the  land  itself,  but  they  must  also 
provide  adequate  drainage  and  fertilization,  both  of  which 
call  for  an  added  investment. 

*For  more  complete  discussion  of  the  management  of  marsh  soils  see 
bulletin  on  this  subject  by  the  Agricultural  Experiment  Station. 


60 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY 


5.  The  use  of  a heavy  roller  to  compact  the  soil  is  a prac- 
tical necessity  in  the  cultivation  of  Peat  lands. 

It  is  suggested  for  those  who  desire  to  undertake  the  devel- 
opment of  a Peat  farm,  in  any  region  but  have  never  had 
experience  with  this  type  of  land,  that  it  would  be  a good  plan 
to  rent  such  a farm  for  a year  or  two  or  possibly  serve  an  ap- 
prenticeship on  some  successful  peat  farm.  This  would  make 
possible  getting  valuable  experience  without  making  a large 
investment. 

ROUGH  STONY  LAND 

Rough  stony  land  includes  rock  exposures,  cliffs,  and  land 
which  is  too  steep  and  rough  to  plow  or  cultivate.  It  may  be 
considered  non-agricultural,  as  it  is  of  value  only  for  the  small 
amount  of  timber  and  pasture  it  supplies. 

This  type  occupies  a large  part  of  the  steep  walls  bordering 
the  valleys  and  forms  a border  between  the  valley  bottoms  and 
the  high  land  of  the  ridges.  The  type  is  developed  as  narrow 
bands  many  miles  in  extent,  winding  in  and  out  of  the  valleys 
and  coves,  but  confined  to  the  steep  slopes.  A part  of  the 
type  occurs  as  narrow  ridges  upon  which  areas  of  soil  too 
small  to  be  mapped  are  sometimes  found.  The  bluffs  and  cliffs 
are  highest  along  the  western  border  of  the  county,  and  fre- 
quently reach  an  elevation  of  two  to  three  hundred  feet  above 
the  valley  bottoms  along  the  sides  of  which  they  occur.  The 
ridge  tops  are  also  wider  here  than  elsewhere,  and  range  in 
width  from  one-quarter  to  one-half  of  a mile.  The  elevation  of 
the  ridge  tops  range  from  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  two  hundred 
feet  above  the  valley  floor  throughout  most  of  the  interior  of 
the  western  part  of  the  county. 

The  rough  stony  land  type  also  includes  isolated  mounds, 
hills,  and  ridges  of  sandstone  rocks  rising  above  the  compara- 
tively level  plane  of  the  eastern  part  of  the  count}'.  None  of 
these  rough  stony  areas,  such  as  Saddle  Mound,  Bruces  Mound, 
or  Stanley  Mounds  have  any  tillable  land  on  their  summits. 

Rough  stony  land  is  quite  uniformly  distributed  throughout 
the  western  portion  of  the  county  and  is  intimately  associated 
with  Knox  silt  loam,  the  steep  phase  of  this  type,  and  also  with 
some  of  the  Boone  types.  The  greater  portion  of  the  rock  con- 
sists of  the  Potsdam  sandstone,  although  there  is  also  some 
granite  rock  exposed  along  the  bed  of  the  Black  River. 


MISCELLANEOUS  SOILS. 


61 


The  forest  growth  still  remaining  consists  of  white  oak,  red 
oak,  pine,  hickory  and  a considerable  amount  of  undergrowth 
and  brush  in  places.  The  best  timber  has  all  been  removed  and 
what  now  remains  serves  to  protect  the  slopes  from  washing. 

The  inclusion  of  rough  stony  land  in  farms  reduces  the  value 
of  better  land  and  it  renders  the  fields  on  or  over  the  ridges 
less  accessible.  It  makes  hauling  to  market  more  difficult,  as 
some  of  the  roads  cross  steep  strips  of  this  class  of  land. 


62 


8 OIL  SURVEY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY 


CHAPTER  VII 

AGRICULTURE  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY 

TYPES  OF  FARMING 

At  the  present  time,  the  agriculture  of  the  west  half  of  the 
county  is  partly  general,  and  partly  dairying  with  grain  raising 
predominating  in  certain  portions.  There  appears  however 
to  be  a gradual  reduction  in  grain  raising  in  favor  of  dairying 
and  general  farming.  There  are  several  reasons  why  this  por- 
tion of  the  county  is  best  suited  to  dairying,  and  chief  of 
these  is  that  all  of  the  land  can  be  utilized  to  better  advantage. 
When  grain  growing  is  followed  exclusively  it  is  impossible 
to  fully  utilize  the  steep  rocky  slopes,  but  when  dairying  is 
followed  these  slopes  are  made  use  of  for  they  supply  good 
grazing.  Thus  the  smooth  land  and  more  gentle  slopes  can 
be  used  for  growing  winter  feed  for  the  stock,  and  the  pasture, 
which  is  a very  important  item  to  the  dairymen,  is  provided 
by  land  which  in  a grain  growing  program  would  not  be  util- 
ized. Another  factor  favoring  dairying  in  this  region  is  that 
the  steep  slopes  can  be  kept  more  permanently  in  grass  which 
prevents  erosion  and  the  washing  away  of  the  surface  soil  and 
the  loss  of  fertility. 

The  agriculture  of  the  county  east  of  the  Black  River  except 
for  small  areas  where  the  better  grades  of  soil  predominate, 
is  still  largly  in  an  undeveloped  state.  While  centers  of  farm- 
ing have  started  around  the  areas  of  better  soil  and  around  a 
few  small  towns,  the  majority  of  the  land  is  still  covered  with 
brush  and  is  not  farmed.  This  is  due  in  large  part  to  the 
poor  quality  of  the  soils.  Groups  of  farms  are  found  near 
Shamrock,  Millston,  City  Point,  Pray,  and  Hatfield,  and  also 
in  the  vicinity  of  Oak  Ridge,  North  Settlement,  and  Knapp  in 
the  interior  of  this  part  of  the  county. 

The  main  crops  of  the  west  half  of  the  county  where  agricul- 
ture is  highly  developed,  are  the  grains  and  corn  and  hay 


AGRICULTURE  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY. 


63 


which  are  largely  fed  to  cattle.  The  cash  crops  consist  of 
tobacco,  beans,  potatoes,  rye  and  on  some  farms  barley,  wheat, 
and  oats  are  sold. 

East  of  the  river  livestock  farming  does  not  thrive  so  well 
because  of  the  inferior  pasturage  produced,  except  on  the  patches 
of  better  soil  mentioned.  Clearings  are  small,  only  a few  head 
of  stock  are  kept,  a little  oats,  rye  and  some  corn  are  pro- 
duced. Partial  support  of  many  is  derived  from  picking  blue 
berries,  working  on  the  cranberry  marshes,  or  gathering  moss  or 
wire  grass. 

CULTURAL  METHODS 

In  the  western  part  of  the  county  on  the  heavy  soils,  some 
fall  plowing  is  done,  but  it  should  be  confined  to  fields  where 
there  is  not  serious  danger  from  erosion.  The  tendency  through- 
out the  county  is  towards  better  methods  of  cultivation,  fertili- 
zation, and  seed  selection.  It  is  customary  to  apply  manure 
to  fields  to  be  plowed  for  corn.  When  the  land  is  plowed  in 
the  fall,  manure  is  often  hauled  out  during  the  winter  and 
scattered  over  the  plowed  field.  This  is  a good  practice  except 
where  the  surface  is  so  steep  that  fertility  is  lost  by  being 
carried  away  by  rains  and  melting  snows. 

In  the  eastern  part  of  the  county  where  conditions  are  radi- 
cally different,  other  methods  are  necessary.  Spring  plowing  is 
better  than  fall  plowing.  Covering  sandy  soils  during  the  fall 
and  early  spring  with  a good  growth  is  a good  practice  because 
it  prevents  loss  of  plant  food  by  leaching,  and  the  loss  of  fine 
sand  particles  by  severe  winds.  Seeding  rye  in  corn  rows  at 
the  time  of  the  last  cultivation  or  in  potato  fields  at  digging 
time  will  prevent  some  loss  of  fertility,  and  this  practice  should 
be  more  generally  followed. 

Rye  seeded  early  in  the  fall  will  help  to  protect  the  soil  from 
blowing,  but  this  crop  has  limitations,  and  the  cheapest  and 
most  profitable  way  of  handling  the  blowing  problem  is  to  grow 
clover  and  to  do  this  commercial  fertilizers  may  be  necessary. 
With  clover  to  hold  the  soil  in  place  and  a wind  break  of  Jack 
pine  and  scrub  oak  to  stop  the  wind,  the  blowing  problem  can 
be  overcome.  The  use  of  a corrugated  roller  is  also  desirable 
since  this  insures  a firm  seed  bed  and  an  uneven  surface  which 
offers  more  resistance  to  wind.  This  implement  is  also  needed 
on  peat  soil,  and  every  sand  and  peat  farmer  should  own  or 
have  the  use  of  such  a roller. 


/ 


64  SOIL  SURVEY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY 

ROTATION  OF  CROPS* 

In  discussing  rotations,  farm  crops  may  be  divided  into  three 
classes : 

1.  Grain  crops — generally  shallow  feeders,  add  little  humns 
or  organic  matter  to  the  soil,  and  tend  to  weediness. 

2.  Hay  crops — legumes,  timothy,  etc.  Legumes  have  exten- 
sive root  systems,  tap  roots,  add  organic  matter  or  humus  and 
also  plant  food  (nitrogen).  They  also  improve  the  physical 
condition  of  the  soil. 

3.  Cultivated  crops — Corn,  potatoes,  etc.,  conserve  moisture, 
favor  decomposition  of  organic  matter,  and  destroy  weeds. 
Some  are  deep  feeders,  as  corn,  while  root  crops  are  shallow 
feeders. 

A good  rotation  should  necessarily  include  crops  belonging 
to  each  of  these  three  classes.  The  value  of  such  practice  is 
apparent  in  its  effect  on  the  physical  condition  of  the  soil,  on 
weediness,  on  organic  matter  supply,  on  plant  diseases,  and 
on  nitrogen  supply  of  the  soil.  Better  yields  are,  therefore, 
obtained  when  crops  are  rotated  than  when  a single  cropping 
system  is  followed. 

Again,  crop  rotation  * permits  raising  livestock  and  means 
diversified  farming.  No  one  will  deny  the  benefits  of  this  type 
of  farming  in  stabilizing  farm  business  and  making  best  use 
of  labor  and  equipment  the  year  around. 

It  should  not  be  understood,  however,  that  crop  rotation 
means  maintaining  the  supply  of  plant  food  better  than  where 
a single  cropping  system  is  practiced.  It  is  often  said  that 
certain  crops  are  “hard”  on  the  soil  in  the  sense  that  they 
remove  more  plant  food  than  other  crops.  In  part  that  is  true, 
but  a more  important  difference  is  that  some  plants  remove 
more  of  certain  elements  than  others.  Again  a crop  like  corn, 
because  of  its  root  development  and  length  of  growing  season, 
may  utilize  plant  food  that  is  less  soluble. 

Potatoes  require  relatively  more  potassium ; corn  draws 
heavily  on  nitrogen ; while  legumes  are  heavy  feeders  on  lime 
(calcium)  and  also  require  large  amounts  of  phosphorus,  po- 
tassium, and  nitrogen  (some  of  which  may  be  extracted  from  the 
air  in  the  soil).  Again,  grain  crops  and  roots  require  plant 


See  Bulletins  of  Exp.  Sta.  for  more  information  on  Crop  Rotation. 


Plate 


ft 
ft 

j> 

£ 

P 

H 
ft 
P 
H 
P 
P 
o 

ft 

0 

ft 
O 

ft 

o 

ft 
p 
p 

o 
o 

ft 

W; 

P'02  'g 

r K 

ftn  ft 
Oo  £ 
jn 

ft£  1 

< . s 

a. 

ftg  5 

<jO  43 
ft  o 

5k  ft 

,i  c8 
p4  Eh  w 
ft^  ' . 

ft,, 

^ t- 

«§  |« 

S®o° 

°ft 


£ p 


Kg  !^g 

Q co  'q 

M 

g si 


SIX  ACRE  ALEALFA  FIELD  ON  PLAINFIELD  SAND  ON  EXPERIMENTAL  FARM  AT  HANCOCK,  WISCONSIN 
This  view  shows  the  crop  during  the  fourth  year  after  seed  ing.  Average  yield  per  acre  per  year  2*4  tons  of  cured  hay. 


Til 


AGRICULTURE  OF  JACK  AON  COUNTY. 


65 


food  that  is  readily  available,  while  corn  is  less  particular  in 
this  respect. 

By  properly  rotating  crops,  therefore,  the  soil  is  subjected 
to  these  different  “feeding  characteristics.”  One  crop  compen- 
sates for  the  other,  and  there  is  maintained  more  nearly  a bal- 
anced condition  than  with  the  single  crop  system. 

It  is  of  great  importance  that  in  selecting  crops  to  grow, 
careful  consideration  be  given  to  the  question  of  climate.  This 
is  about  the  only  factor  which  the  farmer  absolutely  cannot  con- 
trol. A poor  soil  may  be  improved,  better  markets  may  be 
found,  and  better  labor  secured ; but  the  farmer  is  powerless 
to  change  climatic  conditions.  He  must,  therefore,  select  such 
crops  as  are  suited  to  his  climate. 

The  soil  is  also  a factor  of  great  importance.  As  a general 
rule,  small  grain  crops  do  better  on  heavy  than  on  light  soils, 
and  the  same  is  true  of  grasses  grown  for  hay.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  same  variety  of  corn  requires  a shorter  season  for 
maturity  on  light  than  on  heavy  soil.  Rather  light  soils  and 
those  of  intermediate  texture  are  better  adapted  to  potato  grow- 
ing and  root  crops.  Therefore,  on  light  soils  a greater  acreage 
should  be  devoted  to  cultivated  crops  than  on  heavy  types. 

Shipping  and  marketing  facilities  must  also  be  considered 
in  planning  a rotation.  The  farmer  located  on  a sandy  loam 
farm  close  to  a railroad  station  or  home  market  will  often  find 
it  profitable  to  include  potatoes  in  his  rotation.  If  he  is  located 
six  or  seven  miles  from  a station,  the  profits  from  growing 
potatoes  will  be  much  lessened.  It  will  then  pay  him  better  to 
raise  more  corn  for  stock  feeding,  and  to  convert  his  crops  into 
dairy  products  which  are  less  bulky,  and  which  for  the  same 
bulk  have  a greater  value. 

There  is  no  one  best  system  of  rotation.  The  rotation  depends 
on  the  system  of  farming,  and  this  depends  largely  on  the 
personal  choice  of  the  farmer,  for  some  prefer  one  system  and 
some  another.  It  is  highly  desirable  to  rotate  crops,  but  a 
serious  mistake  to  think  that  rotation  takes  the  place  of  other 
equally  sound  practices,  such  as  liming  and  fertilizing. 

Following  are  a few  suggestions  which  will  apply  to  the 
western  part  of  Jackson  county,  and  may  serve  as  outlines  to 
be  modified  according  to  varying  conditions. 

As  much  of  the  land  in  western  Jackson  county  is  quite  roil- 
ing this  factor  should  be  considered  in  working  out  a rotation. 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY 


66 

One  of  the  chief  difficulties  on  long  slopes  is  that  of  the  tendency  . 
of  little  streamlets  to  collect  into  larger  streams  which  greatly 
increase  their  eroding  power.  This  difficulty  can  be  overcome 
to  some  extent  by  laying  out  the  fields  in  long  and  comparatively 
narrow  strips  on  the  hillsides  so  that  the  land  which  is  in  tilled 
crops  such  as  corn  or  potatoes  will  alternate  with  land  in  grain 
or  hay,  thus  greatly  shortening  the  distance  down  the  hill 
through  which  this  accumulation  of  streams  may  take  place. 
The  sodded  strips  serve  to  check  the  flow  of  surface  water,  ab- 
sorbing it  and  carrying  it  off  beneath  the  surface. 

A rotation  which  adapts  itself  to  this  system  consists  of  corn, 
followed  by  small  grain  followed  by  hay  for  two  years.  In 
some  parts  of  the  county  grain  is  inclined  to  lodge.  This  ten- 
dency may  be  overcome  somewhat  by  growing  grain  twice  in 
succession  on  the  same  fields.  Where  the  slope  is  not  too  great 
this  may  be  safely  done,  and  two  crops  of  corn  may  also  be 
grgwn  in  this  wTay  where  the  slope  will  permit.  A three  year 
rotation  may  also  be  used  on  much  of  this  land.  Corn  may  be 
followed  by  a small  grain  and  the  grain  by  clover.  Where 
the  fertility  is  rather  low,  the  second  crop  should  be  plowed 
under  as  a green  manuring  crop. 

In  the  sandy  portions  of  Jackson  county,  somewhat  different 
rotations  should  be  followed.  The  following  is  probably  the 
best  for  most  farms  of  sandy  soil : 

1st  year : Clover  with  perhaps  a light  seeding  of  rye  or  oats. 

2nd  year : Clover  for  hay,  leaving  the  second  crop  to  be 

turned  under  either  in  the  fall  or  spring. 

3rd  year : Corn  or  potatoes. 

4th  year:  Soybeans,  which  may  be  used  for  feed,  for  hay, 

and  for  green  manure. 

If  any  other  crops  are  to  be  grown,  they  may  be  planted  fol- 
lowing clover,  thus  eliminating  one  of  the  crops  named.  An- 
other rotation  which  is  frequently  followed  on  sandy  soils  con- 
sists of  small  grain  followed  by  clover,  followed  by  potatoes. 
The  second  crop  of  clover  in  this  system  should  be  plowed  under 
as  green  manure  crop. 

It  is  better  to  use  mammoth  cluver  on  the  sandy  soils  than 
red  clover,  for  it  is  more  hardy  and  more  vigorous  in  growth, 
being  able  to  secure  its  plant  food  more  readily.  It  grows  to 
about  the  same  size  on  sandy  soils  as  the  medium  red  clover 
does  on  heavy  soils. 


AGRICULTURE  OF  JACK  HON  COUNTY. 


67 


In  some  of  the  rotations  suggested  it  may  be  desirable  to 
substitute  rye  for  wheat  or  oats,  especially  on  the  sandy  soils. 

Tobacco  can  be  grown  on  the  same  field  for  from  two  to  three 
years,  followed  by  two  years  of  corn  and  one  of  small  grain 
seeded  to  clover.  With  the  tobacco  a phosphate  fertilizer  should 
be  used  to  supplement  the  manure.  A second  crop  of  clover 
can  be  plowed  under,  and  thus  save  some  of  the  manure  for 
other  parts  of  the  farm.  Tobacco  should  not  be  grown  on  the 
same  field  for  a long  period  of  years  as  is  often  the  practice. 

The  growing  of  peas  for  canning  could  be  made  an  important 
crop  in  this  section,  and  this  crop  could  be  readily  introduced 
into  a four  year  rotation.  Such  a rotation  might  consist  of  small 
grain,  clover,  cultivated  crops,  which  would  be  followed  by 
peas.  This  may  be  made  a five  year  rotation  by  adding  timothy 
and  cutting  hay  for  two  years.  This  system  would  be  best 
suited  to  the  western  part  of  the  county  where  the  soils  are 
heavier. 

On  the  marsh  lands  as  they  are  reclaimed,  the  question  of 
crop  rotation  should  also  be  considered.  There  are  three  types 
of  farming  to  which  marsh  soils  are  adapted  and  these  are  stock 
raising  or  dairy  farming,  trucking  and  a combination  of  the 
two  in  which  neither  type  predominates.  Grain  farming  can 
not  as  yet  be  recommended  on  marsh  soils.  Where  a farmer 
has  30  or  40  acres  of  peat  he  can  divide  the  field  into  four  parts 
and  raise  cabbage  on  one,  sugar  beets  on  one,  grain  on  one  and 
hay  on  the  other.  Thus  a four  year  rotation  of  hay,  sugar  beets, 
cabbage  and  grain  would  be  practiced  on  the  peat.  On  a dairy 
farm  two  or  three  crops  of  corn  may  be  grown  in  succession 
but  in  this  region  one  should  take  into  account  the  danger  from 
frost.  The  corn  may  be  followed  by  grain  and  this  by  alsike 
clover  and  timothy.  The  hay  may  be  cut  the  first  year  and 
pastured  the  second.  Potatoes  may  also  be  grown  on  peat  land 
but  here  again  the  danger  from  frost  and  the  quality  of  the 
product  must  be  considered.  In  some  localities  outside  of  this 
area  in  this  and  other  states  a one  crop  system  is  being  followed 
where  celery,  peppermint,  or  some  other  crop  is  the  entire 
source  of  income.  While  a rotation  of  crops  on  such  land  is 
not  absolutely  essential  a change  of  crops  is  desirable  to  aid  in 
the  control  of  weeds  and  insect  pests. 


68 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY 


EROSION  IN  JACKSON  COUNTY 

The  most  important  single  problem  in  soil  management  in 
western  Jackson  county  is  due  to  the  large  amounts  of  steep 
or  rolling  land.  The  county  is  in  the  so-called  residual  portion 
of  the  state  where  the  streams  which  drain  the  area  have  cut 
down  their  beds  through  the  formerly  level  elevated  plain  into 
sandstone  rock.  These  valleys  have  never  been  altered  or  filled 
by  action  of  glaciers  which  once  covered  most  of  the  state.  The 
valleys  were  at  first  mere  erosion  ditches  or  small  stream  beds 
which  have  been  enlarged  and  deepened  during  geological  ages 
till  their  beds  lie  from  200  to  over  400  feet  below  the  ridges 
which  extend  between . The  valleys  and  their  tributaries  radi- 
ate like  the  veins  of  a leaf  and  the  steep  slopes  which  lead 
down  from  the  ridge  top  to  valley  bottom  make  up  a consider- 
able part  of  the  area  of  the  county. 

Most  of  the  soil  on  the  sloping  land  is  heavy  and  is  included 
in  the  steep  phase  of  the  Knox  silt  loam.  These  slopes  which 
originally  were  timbered  or  brush-covered  have  been  largely 
cleared  and  cultivated.  Because  of  their  unprotected  condi- 
tion and  exposure  to  the  work  of  surface  run-off  water 
from  higher  land,  fields  on  this  type  of  soil  are  often  extensively 
washed  and  gullied  by  the  storm  water  and  the  water  from 
melting  snow  in  spring. 

Other  soils  subject  to  erosion  are  the  soils  of  the  Boone 
series  derived  from  sandstone  and  which  often  occupy  lower 
slopes  in  the  valleys.  The  soils  of  the  Lintonia  series  which 
lie  in  narrow  benches  along  the  sides  of  the  valley  bottoms  are 
also  subject  to  severe  gullying.  The  swift  flowing  water  from 
the  ridges  and  slopes  must  cross  these  benches  before  reaching 
the  valley  stream  and  deep  ravines,  gullies,  and  ditches  are 
developed.  Soil  erosion  is  a farm  problem  not  only  because 
fields  are  cut  by  ditches  and  gullies  which  make  cultivation 
difficult,  but  because  erosion  removes  the  finest  and  most  fertile 
soil  particles  first  and  reduces  the  fertility  and  yield  of  fields 
by  removing  fine  soil  and  organic  matter  from  the  surface. 
The  causes  of  removal  of  soil  from  the  surface  without  forma- 
tion of  gullies  generally  lie  in  improper  methods  of  cultivation 
or  poor  arrangement  of  fields.  Fields  where  this  kind  of  ero- 
sion occurs  are  often  only  gently  rolling  or  undulating  and  the 
rain  water  does  not  collect  in  larger  swift-flowing  rills  or 


AGBICULTUBE  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY. 


69 


streams  which  have  power  to  cut  ditches,  but  follows  the  culti- 
vated rows  such  as  corn  or  potatoes  or  the  drill  rows  of  grain 
fields  and  the  soil  is  removed  only  from  the  knolls  and  deposited 
in  the  hollows. 

Contour  cultivation  and  arrangement  of  the  crop  rows  across 
the  slope  instead  of  with  or  down  the  slopes  retards  the  move- 
ment of  soil  in  such  fields.  Keeping  the  most  exposed  places 
in  sod  as  much  as  possible  and  the  cultivation  of  the  field  in 
alternate  strips  of  crop  and  sod  across  the  slopes  are  incon- 
venient but  often  necessary  methods. 

Rotation  of  crops  in  such  a way  that  two  cultivated  crops 
.do  not  follow  in  succession  gives  the  field  oi)portunity  to  recover 
from  its  losses  Under  cultivation  and  avoiding  a hard  bare  con- 
dition of  the  eroded  ground  after  harvest  as  much  as  possible 
prevents  surface  wash  in  the  fall.  A cover  or  catch  crop  of 
rye  or  peas  in  the  corn  rows  helps  protect  the  soil  after  harvest 
and  furnishes  pasture  until  winter. 

Deep  plowing  and  plowing  under  of  straw,  manure,  or  a 
second  crop  of  clover  to  increase  the  organic  matter  in  the  soil 
also  give  the  surface  of  the  field  greater  absorbing  capacity  and 
resistance  to  erosion. 

Gullying  occurs  where  greater  volumes  of  water  collect  form- 
ing cutting-streams  where  steeper  slopes  cause  the  water  to 
flow  faster  or  in  places  where  the  soil  has  an  unstaple  founda- 
tion of  sandy  material  which  easily  undermines  when  the  water 
once  cuts  through  the  surface  soil  and  establishes  a fall  which 
cuts  back  in  the  sandy  subsoil.  In  some  situations  large  gullies 
one  half  mile  or  more  in  length  are  sometimes  cut  during  a 
single  season. 

In  their  beginnings  most  small  gullies  are  easily  handled. 
Small  drainage-ways  or  shallow  ditches  can  be  filed  with  straw 
or  manure  and  plowed  shut.  Such  shallow  drainageways  should 
be  left  in  permanent  sod.  The  plow  can  be  easily  thrown  out 
in  passing  across  them.  On  the  level  terraces  or  where  heavy 
soil  lies  on  light  sand  or  sandy  gravelly  subsoil,  small  ditches 
must  be  immediately  tended  to  because  all  ditches  on  such  soil 
are  dangerous. 

Where  the  subsoil  is  clay  and  where  clay  or  silt  soil  material 
is  being  brought  down  by  the  flood  water,  large  gullies  may 
be  made  to  fill  by  putting  in  a dam  of  stumps,  brush,  and  logs. 
Where  the  subsoil  is  sandy  much  greater  care  is  required.  If 


70 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY 


dams  are  built  in  the  latter  case,  they  need  to  be  carefully  con- 
structed to  prevent  the  water  from  cutting  around  them. 

Dams  of  concrete,  stone,  wire  mesh,  and  brush  have  been  suc- 
cessfully used.  Flume  devices  also  have  been  used  to  carry  the 
water  over  the  head  of  the  ditch  and  down  into  it  preventing 
its  continued  growth. 

Planting  willows  and  bushes  on  the  sides  and  bottom  of  ditches 
too  deep  to  fill  often  arrests  the  growth  of  the  ditch.  Sorghum, 
sweet  clover,  or  rye  make  good  emergency  crops  on  eroded  spots 
and  fields  which  later  need  to  be  seeded  to  grasses  and  left  in 
permanent  sod.* 

DRAINAGE  f 

In  Jackson  county  there  are  at  least  150,000  acres  of  land 
which  would  be  classed  as  poorly  drained,  and  which  must  be 
provided  with  open  ditches  or  tile  drains  before  cultivated  crops 
can  be  safely  grown  from  year  to  year.  The  major  portion  of 
this  poorly  drained  land  consists  of  deep  peat,  and  in  the 
eastern  part  of  the  county,  the  two  townships,  town  20  and  21 
north,  Range  1 East,  have  more  than  eighty  per  cent  of  their 
area  in  deep  peat.  This  means  that  there  are  over  36,000  acres 
of  this  low  land  in  one  large  body.  In  addition  to  this,  there 
are  other  extensive  areas  of  peat  throughout  the  eastern  part 
of  the  county.  There  are  also  extensive  areas  of  Dunning  sand 
which  consist  of  marsh  border  soil  and  this  requires  drainage, 
and  there  is  also  some  land  along  the  Black  River  which  is  sub- 
ject to  overflow  and  which  is  classed  as  poorly  drained,  which 
is  more  difficult  to  reclaim.  At  the  present  time  there  are 
46,760  acres  of  land  in  drainage  enterprises.  There  are  25.5 
miles  of  open  ditches  in  these  drainage  enterprises,  but  only  a 
very  small  amount  of  tile  has  been  installed  up  to  the  present 
time.  The  capital  invested  in  and  required  to  complete  opera- 
ting enterprises  in  Jackson  county  amounts  to  $113,570. 

Quite  a large  number  of  open  ditches  have  been  constructed. 
Statistics  indicate  that  only  4,140  acres  of  this  drained  land 
are  improved  at  the  present  time.  This  means  vast  areas  of 
land  withiij  drainage  districts  are  still  lying  idle.  This  is  due 
to  the  fact  that  even  though  outlet  ditches  have  been  installed, 
laterals  have  not  been  constructed  so  that  individual  tracts  of 

*See  Bulletin  272  of  the  Wisconsin  Experiment  Station. 

fFor  a full  discussion  of  drainage  questions  consult  the  bulletins  of  the 
Wisconsin  Experiment  Station. 


AOKICl'  LTV  RE  <>E  JACKSON  COUNTY. 


71 


land  do  not  have  sufficient  drainage  at  present.  Then,  too, 
much  of  the  land  is  raw,  fibrous  peat,  and  this  class  of  soil  re- 
quires special  methods  of  cultivation  and  fertilization  in  order 
to  make  its  development  profitable.  It  may  'be  stated  that 
most  of  the  marsh  land  in  Jackson  county  is  at  present  unim- 
proved. The  most  extensive  use  which  is  being  made  of  the 
marsh  land  is  for  wild  hay,  for  moss,  and  wire  grass.  Some  of 
the  marsh  is  also  utilized  for  pasture. 

The  cranberry  industry  mentioned  elsewhere  lias  been  devel- 
oped almost  entirely  on  peat  soils,  and  where  this  development 
has  taken  place,  thorough  drainage  is  not  wanted  in  that  imme- 
diate vicinity.  With  the  proper  construction  of  reservoir  and 
ditches,  however,  the  development  of  cranberry  industry,  and 
the  development  of  farming  on  cultivated  lands  need  not  inter- 
fere materially  with  one  another,  since  the  drainage  water  from 
one  tract  ma3r  be  used  at  a lower  point  on  the  cranberry  bogs. 
It  is  believed  that  there  is  a sufficient  fall  so  that  practically 
all  the  marsh  lands  in  this  county  can  be  successfully  drained. 
Where  an  area  of  low  land  includes  part  of  several  farms,  the 
owners  can  form  a drainage  district  and  sell  bonds  to  pay  for 
the  improvement.  This  is  the  method  which  has  been  used,  and 
a number  of  drainage  districts  have  already  been  established 
in  the  county.  In  this  way  the  cost  of  drainage  can  be  spread 
over  a number  of  years  and  paid  for  from  the  products  of  the 
improved  acres.  Assistance  in  the  development  of  such  proj- 
ects can,  and  in  fact,  must  be  secured  from  the  state  authori- 
ties who  pass  upon  the  practicability  of  the  project  before 
the  court  permits  the  organization  of  a drainage  district.  Where 
the  areas  of  marsh  land  are  small  and  confined  to  one  farm,  and 
where  there  is  an  outlet,  the  farmer  can  install  tile  drains  and 
establish  his  own  drainage  system. 

For  a more  detailed  discussion  of  drainage  see  bulletins  284 
and  309,  Wisconsin  Experiment  Station. 

LIMING 

Most  of  the  soils  in  Jackson  county  are  thought  to  be  in  need 
of  lime.  All  of  the  soil  types  show  an  acid  condition  which 
ranges  from  slight  to  strong  in  degree.  The  subsoils  of  many 
of  the  types  also  show  some  acidity  to  a depth  of  from  two  to 
three  feet.  The  heavy  light  colored  upland  soils  are  usually 


72 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY 


acid  at  the  surface,  but  the  deep  subsoil  may  in  places  be  free 
from  acid  or  even  slightly  calcarious  (containing  lime). 

The  degree  of  acidity  is  quite  variable,  and  each  farmer  may 
find  a wide  variation  in  the  need  for  lime  on  his  farm.  It  is 
essential  that  every  farmer  should  have  his  various  fields  tested 
before  making  an  expenditure  for  lime.  The  county  agent  can 
do  this,  or  samples  may  be  sent  to  the  Department  of  Soils  of 
the  University  where  free  tests  will  be  made.  Failure  of  clover 
and  alfalfa  are  often  an  indication  of  the  need  of  lime.  About 
three  tons  of  ground  limestone  per  acre  is  the  usual  application 
on  these  soils  when  alfalfa  is  to  be  grown  and  two  tons  where 
clover  is  seeded.  The  amount  to  be  used,  however,  may  vary 
with  the  degree  of  acidity,  the  character  of  the  soil,  and  the 
crop  to  be  grown.  Such  crops  as  alfalfa,  sweet  clover,  peas, 
cabbages,  onions,  and  lettuce  have  a high  lime  requirement. 
Clover,  garden  beans,  barley,  hemp,  turnips,  and  raishes  have 
a medium  lime  requirement  while  vetch,  white  clover,  oats,  rye, 
blue  grass,  potatoes,  sorghum,  and  others  have  a low  require- 
ment for  lime.  As  a rule  the  heavy  types  of  soil  which  are 
acid  need  more  lime  than  the  sandy  types  showing  the  same 
degree  of  acidity. 

Ground  limestone  is  doubtless  the  most  economical  form  of 
lime  which  can  be  extensively  utilized  in  Jackson  county.  Lime 
should  be  applied  previous  to  planting  the  crop  which  is  to  be 
benefited.  It  should  be  applied  to  plowed  land  and  thoroughly 
worked  in  by  harrowing.  Either  fall,  winter,  or  spring  appli- 
cations may  be  made. 

The  best  way  to  apply  lime  which  is  dry  is  with  a regular 
spreader  made  for  this  purpose,  and  there  are  a number  on  the 
market.  The  end  gate  type  of  spreader  has  given  good  re- 
sults in  spreading  dry  or  moist  lime.  A manure  spreader  may 
also  be  used  by  first  putting  in  a thin  layer  of  manure  or  straw 
and  spreading  the  limestone  evenly  on  top  of  this.  Where  sev- 
eral farmers  are  so  situated  that  they  can  work  together,  a lime 
spreader  should  be  secured  for  this  purpose. 

After  making  a first  application  of  two  or  three  tons  per 
acre,  it  is  not  likely  that  another  application  will  be  needed  for 
four  to  six  years,  and  the  need  should  again  be  determined  by 
soil  acidity  test,  as  well  as  by  the  story  which  the  crops  them- 
selves tell. 


A GUI  ('U  LTV  HE  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY. 


73 


It  should  be  remembered  that  most  acid  soils  are  also  dificient 
in  available  phosphorus,  but  applying  lime  will  not  add  to  the 
total  amount  of  phosphorus  in  the  soil.  The  need  of  phosphorus 
may  be  so  great  that  but  little  result  will  be  secured  from  lim- 
ing until  phosphorus  is  also  added.  Frequently  the  application 
of  phosphorus  alone  to  an  acid  soil  will  result  in  larger  in- 
creases than  the  uses  of  lime  alone,  and  for  this  reason  it  is 
important  that  both  deficiencies  should  be  corrected  to  secure 
the  most  economical  production. 

THE  USE  OF  FERTILIZERS 

We  believe  that  most  of  the  nitrogen  needed  for  plant  food 
by  Wisconsin  crops  can  best  be  secured  through  the  growth  of 
legumes  and  the  use  of  stable  manure.  Since  the  legumes 
require  a good  supply  of  available  phosphorus,  this  ele- 
ment should  be  applied  by  the  broadcast  application  of  phos- 
phate when  seeding  down  to  a legume  whenever  needed.  This 
phosphorus  in  part  becomes  available  along  with  the  nitrogen 
of  the  legume  to  the  succeeding  crop  of  corn,  potatoes,  sugar 
beets,  tobacco,  etc.,  all  of  which  on  upland  soils  at  least  should 
be  grown  in  rotation  with  legumes,  or  else  on  manured  land. 
Only  such  additional  amounts  of  phosphorus  and  potash  should 
be  applied  to  these  special  crops  as  are  needed.  These  can  then 
be  applied  in  the  hill  or  drill,  if  desirable. 

Peat  and  muck  soils  are  abundantly  supplied  with  nitrogen 
which  can  be  made  available  by  proper  treatment  but  are  prac- 
tically always  low  in  potash  and  freqeuntly  in  phosphorus,  and 
even  sometimes  in  lime  as  well. 

Only  such  amounts  of  nitrogen  should  be  purchased  in  com- 
mercial fertilizers  as  are  needed  to  supplement  the  home  grown 
supply.  Such  supplementary  nitrogen  should  ordinarily  be  in 
immediately  available  form  and  be  used  to  encourage  early 
growth.  Where  it  is  desired  to  use  a fertilizer  carrying  nitro- 
gen, it  is  highly  important  that  this  fertilizer  be  applied  with 
a fertilizer  attachment  on  the  planter  or  in  such  a manner  that 
it  will  come  within  the  root  feeding  radius  of  the  plant.  Fer- 
tilizer attachments  are  being  used  for  the  application  of  fer- 
tilizers for  potatoes  and  corn.  For  sugar  beets  the  fertilizer 
should  be  applied  at  the  time  of  planting  the  crop  with  a regu- 
lar fertilizer  beet  drill.  Fertilizers  for  tobacco  and  cabbage 
are  usually  applied  broadcast  previous  to  setting,  athough  it  has 


74 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY 


been  found  desirable  to  apply  a small  amount  of  the  fertilizer 
with  an  attachment  on  the  tobacco  or  cabbage  setter  and  the 
balance  to  be  applied  broadcast  after  the  crop  has  developed  a 
more  extensive  root  system.  For  onions  and  other  truck  crops 
it  is  usually  desirable  to  apply  the  fertilizer  broadcast  previous 
to  planting  the  crop. 

There  are  three  factors  which  must  be  considered  in  relation 
to  fertility  and  the  yield  of  crops : First,  the  condition  of  the 

soil  itself  and  the  supplies  of  the  various  kinds  of  plant  food 
which  it  offers  in  available  form;  second,  the  crops  to  be  grown, 
including  the  kinds  and  amounts  of  plant  food  they  require; 
and  third,  the  use  of  fertilizers  which  will  supplement  the  sup- 
ply of  plant  food  already  in  the  soil  in  a way  to  meet  the  de- 
mand of  the  crops  concerned. 

Soils  vary  greatly  in  the  total  amount  of  plant  food  they 
contain  in  available  form  and  especially  in  the  proportion  of  the 
various  elements  required  by  crops.  Sandy  and  light  soils  are 
generally  low  in  most  elements.  Light  colored  clay  soils  are 
relatively  low  in  nitrogen  and  are  moderately  well  supplied 
with  phosphates,  but  contain  potash  in  relative  abundance. 
Peat  soils  are  always  abundantly  supplied  with  nitrogen  which 
can  be  made  available  by  proper  treatment,  but  are  practically 
always  low  in  potash,  and  frequently  in  phosphates,  and  even 
sometimes  in  lime  as  well. 

With  reference  to  crops,  there  are  two  things  to  consider: 
first,  the  relative  proportion  of  the  different  elements  they  re- 
quire; second,  the  total  quantity  needed.  While  there  are  un- 
doubtedly slight  variations  in  the  requirements  of  each  single 
individual  crop,  they  can  be  grouped  into  classes  fairly  well. 
Such  crops  as  small  grains  and  grasses,  including  timothy,  re- 
quire a relative  abundance  of  phosphates  and  moderate  amounts 
of  potash  and  nitrogen.  Such  crops  as  corn,  potatoes,  tobacco, 
and  sugar  beets  require  large  amounts  of  nitrogen  and  potash 
with  moderate  supplies  of  phosphates.  Peas,  clover,  and  alfalfa 
require  large  amounts  of  phosphate,  potassium,  and  lime,  but 
under  proper  conditions  can  secure  most  of  their  nitrogen  from 
the  air. 

The  total  quantity  of  plant  food  needed  depends  largely  on 
the  total  weight  of  the  crop  produced.  Such  crops  as  small 
grain,  timothy,  and  flax  require  but  moderate  amounts  of  total 


AGRICULTURE  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY.  75 

plant  food  per  acre,  while  such  crops  as  corn,  sugar  beets,  cab- 
bage, onions,  and  potatoes,  require  much  larger  quantities. 

The  yields  of  crops  are  affected  not  only  by  the  quantity  of 
plant  food  available,  but  by  the  moisture  supply  which  the 
climate  provides  and  the  portion  of  it  which  the  soils  on  which 
the  crops  are  grown  will  retain  until  absorbed  by  the  growing 
plants.. 

In  working  out  our  ideas  of  the  proper  fertilizers  to  use  in 
Wisconsin,  therefore,  we  must  take  all  of  these  factors  into 
consideration  and  should  use  commercial  fertilizers  only  to 
supplement  the  natural  fertility  of  our  soils  and  system  of 
farming.  Roughly  this  means  that  on  any  particular  kind  of 
soil  and  for  the  growing  of  any  one  of  the  groups  of  crops  men- 
tioned, the  fertilizer  best  to  use  would  depend  on  : first,  whether 

stable  manure  had  been  used  or  not;  second,  whether  legumes, 
which  would  supply  nitrogen  but  no  other  element,  have  been 
grown ; or  third,  if  the  soil  is  unfertilized  in  either  of  these 
ways. 

Acid  phosphate  should  be  used  on  the  heavier  soils  in  the 
general  system  of  farming  where  a sufficient  amount  of  manure 
is  produced  to  cover  the  cultivated  land  every  fourth  year. 
This  phosphate  fertilizer  should  be  used  at  rates  of  125  to  350 
lbs.  per  acre  (depending  upon  the  grade)  and  should  be  broad- 
casted or  applied  with  a fertilizer  grain  drill  at  the  time  of 
seeding  to  small  grain  and  clover. 

Mixed  fertilizers  high  in  phosphate  (such  as  2-12-2)  may  be 
used  on  lighter  soils  where  there  is  a limited  supply  of  organic 
matter.  For  small  grain  these  fertilizers  may  be  applied  at 
rates  of  200  to  400  lbs.  per  acre  depending  upon  conditions. 
This  fertilizer  may  also  be  used  on  corn  at  rates  of  75  to 
125  lbs.  per  acre  and  should  be  applied  with  fertilizer  attach- 
ments on  the  corn  planter.  Fertilizer  applied  in  this  manner 
for  corn  should  be  used  only  as  a supplement  to  the  usual 
manurial  treatment  and  in  conjunction  with  a practice  as  pre- 
viously outlined. 

Mixed  fertilizers  high  in  potash  may  be  used  for  truck  crops 
where  it  is  impossible  to  secure  a sufficient  amount  of  barnyard 
manure.  It  is  imperative  that  some  legume  such  as  clover  or 
soybeans  be  grown  under  this  system  in  order  to  suppty  the  nec- 
essary amounts  of  organic  matter  and  partly  supply  the  nitrogen. 
For  potatoes  the  fertilizer  should  be  applied  with  fertilizer 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY 


7b 

attachments  in  the  furrows  at  rates  of  400  to  1,000  lbs.  per  acre. 
For  onions,  cabbage,  beets,  tobacco,  etc.,  the  fertilizer  may  be 
applied  broadcast  at  rates  of  400  to  1,500  lbs.  per  acre.  The 
conditions  peculiar  to  the  individual  case  will  decide  the  amounts 
and  kind  of  fertilizer  to  use. 

Phosphate  and  potash  mixtures  should  be  used  on  the  dark 
colored  soils  where  there  is  no  need  for  nitrogen  in  the  ferti- 
lizer. Soils  ranging  from  the  black  sand  loams  to  muck  and  peats 
fall  under  this  class.  The  kind  of  fertilizer  and  the  rate  of 
application  will  depend  ujion  the  type  of  soil,  the  crop  to  be 
grown  and  other  conditions  peculiar  to  the  individual  case  and 
no  recommendations  can  be  made  unless  all  these  factors  are 
taken  into  consideration.* 

FARM  PRODUCTS  AND  AGRICULTURAL  STATISTICS 

Of  the  agricultural  products  of  the  county  as  a whole,  the 
cereals  lead  by  far.  The  farm  value  of  the  cereals  including 
corn  December  1,  1920,  was  over  two  million  dollars,  while  hay 
and  forage  were  worth  less  than  a half  of  this  amount,  and  milk 
produced  had  a value  of  over  two  million  dollars. 

Among  the  cereals,  oats  represent  the  greatest  acreage  and 
production  with  corn  second,  barley  third,  and  rye  and  wheat 
about  an  equal  fourth. 

The  towns  of  Garden  Valley,  Albion,  Franklin,  Irving,  Cur- 
ran, Melrose,  and  Northfield  produced  the  most  grains,  hay, 
corn  for  silage  and  tobacco,  and  have  the  most  cows,  horses, 
sheep,  and  silos.  These  towns  have  largely  the  Knox  silt  loam 
soil. 

The  towns  of  Cleveland,  Hixton,  Alma  and  Springfield  with 
largely  fine  sandy  loam  and  loam  soil  lead  in  acreage  of  corn 
for  grain,  alfalfa,  buckwheat,  beans  and  wild  hay,  and  second 
in  number  of  hogs,  silos,  and  acres  of  wheat,  tobacco,  silage, 
and  potatoes.  # 

The  towns  with  largely  medium  to  sandy  soil  including  Gar- 
field, City  Point,  Manchester,  and  Komensky,  lead  in  the  pro- 
duction of  rye,  wild  hay,  and  clover.  Brockway,  Millston, 
Knapp,  and  Bear  Bluff  the  most  generally  sandy  towns  led 
in  acreage  of  potatoes,  cranberries,  and  wild  hay.  Being  only 

*For  a more  complete  discussion  of  commercial  fertilizers  consult  the 
bulletins  of  the  Wisconsin  Experiment  Station. 


AGRICULTURE  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY. 


77 


partly  developed,  they  do  not  compare  with  the  production  of 
the  more  highly  developed  towns  having  heavier  soil. 

Tobacco  has  the  highest  acre  value  of  any  of  the  special  crops 
grown  in  the  county.  The  census  of  1920  reports  209  acres  de- 
voted to  tobacco  growing  in  the  county.  The  acreage  on  any  one 
farm  is  small,  and  probably  averages  no  more  than  two  to 
three  acres;  so  that  tobacco  is  grown  on  about  100  of  the  2,400 
farms  in  the  county. 

The  production  of  cranberries  is  a special  industry  carried 
on  chiefly  in  the  marshy  parts  of  the  east  half  of  the  county. 
1910  census  reports  529  acres  of  cranberries  with  a yield  of 
529,000  quarts.  In  1920,  480  acres  produced  548,648  quarts. 

In  1917  about  460  acres  of  beans  were  produced  in  Jackson 
county.  In  1920  the  crop  was  232  acres  yielding  2,344  bushels. 
These  also  are  generally  grown  on  the  sandy  soils  and  in  small 
plots  of  one-half  to  two  acres  extent,  although  a few  fields  of 
from  five  to  twenty  acres  of  beans  are  grown.  The  white  navy 
bean  is  the  variety  generally  grown.  The  greatest  acreages  are 
usually  in  the  towns  of  Alma,  Albion,  Hixton,  and  Garfield. 

Potatoes  are  grown  on  a commercial  scale  in  parts  of  the 
county.  The  largest  acreages  are  found  in  Cleveland,  Irving, 
Garden  Valley,  and  Garfield  and  Alma  townships.  Potato  ware 
houses  are  located  at  Fairchild,  Price  and  Black  River  Falls. 
Alma  Center,  Humbird,  and  Levis. 

Cucumbers  are  quite  extensively  grown  in  portions  of  the 
county,  chiefly  on  the  sandy  and  sandy  loam  soils.  Salting 
stations  are  located  at  Merrillan,  Black  River  Falls,  Hatfield, 
Levis,  and  Taylor.  As  high  as  $2.00  per  bushel  of  fifty  pounds 
is  paid  for  first  grade  cucumbers.  Seed  is  generally  furnished 
and  farmers  are  able  to  make  $100  to  $150  an  acre  from  this 
crop  where  soil  and  weather  conditions  are  favorable.  This 
crop  is  very  tender  and  occasionally  early  frosts  in  the  fall  or 
the  yield. 


78 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY 


Table  or  Agricultural  Statistics  for  Jackson  County  for  1919  As 
Compared  With  1918  and  1909,  From  Bulletin  No.  28  of  the  State 
Department  of  Agriculture. 


Number  of  Farms 


Number  of  farms. 

Acreage  in  22  cultivated  crops,  including  tame  nay i 

Corn,  total  acreage 

Production,  bushels  j 

Corn  for  grain,  acreage ! 

Production,  bushels ! 

Corn  for  silage,  acreage i 

Production,  tons ! 

Silos,  number 

Oats,  acreage 

Production,  bushels 

Winter  wheat,  acreage 

Production,  bushels 

Spring  wheat,  acreage.. 

Production,  bushels 

Barley,  acreage i 

Production,  bushels 

Buckwheat,  acreage 

Production,  bushels 

Rye,  acreage. 1 

Production,  bushels 

Peas  dry,  acreage..^ 

Production,  bushels 

Dry  beans,  acreage 

Procfuction,  bushels 

Clover  and  timothy,  acreage 

Production,  tons 

Alfalfa,  acreage 

Production,  tons v 

Other  tame  hay,  acreage 

Production,  tons 

Wild  hay,  acreage 

Production,  tons 

Potatoes,  acreage.. 

Production,  bushels 

Tobacco,  acreage 

Production,  pounds 

Cabbage,  acreage 

Production,  tons 

Sugar  beets,  acreage 

Peas  for  canning 

Other  root  crops 

Flax,  acreage 


1919 

1918 

1909 

2,479 

2,382 

138,928 

23,675 

132,564 

120,,  563 

22,204 

160,058 

1,089,050 

865,956 

10,418  I 

8,215 

489,646 

328,600 

11,837 

12,657 

108,900  ! 

101,256  i 

894 

792  ! 

41,023 

43,764 

43,491 

1,394,782 

1,925,616 

3,314 

1,513 

3,832 

62,966 

27,558 

7,322 

6,231  1 

722 

87,864 

155,775  j 

|— 

6,918 

9,506 

8,868 

179,868 

344,322 

1,810 

2,676 

1,994 

28,960 

50,844 

11,436 

9,582 

7,457 

194,446 

182,058 

272 

111 

32 

2,992 

1,332 

137 

390 

207 

2,055 

4,680 

33,545 

32,032 

34,227 

53,672 

48,048 

104 

98 

20 

322 

245 



661 

496 

404 

859 

794 

3,370 

3,812 

3,774 

5,055 

4,574 

2,471 

2,651 

2,189 

232,274 

288,939 

550 

625 

338 

715,000 

843,750 

12 

33 

10 

91 

99 

16 

121 

103 

166 

36 

16 

50 

30 

Acreage  in  221  cultivated  crops,  including  tame  hay_. 

133,928 

; 

132,564 

120,563 

1920 

1919 

1910 

Milk  cows,  number  January  1 

Other  cattle  

Number  of  horses  and  mules,  January  1 

Number  of  swine,  January  1 

Number  of  sheep,  January  l__ 

Milk  produced,  cwt.  

19,762 

23,978 

9,044 

29,662 

12,198 

876,865 

19,391 

22,879 

9,291 

30,615 

14,630 

17,077 

14,756 

8,514 

18,615 

7,966 

Average  production,  per  cow,  4,488  pounds  of  milk. 


AGRICULTURE  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY. 


79 


AGRICULTURAL  HISTORY 

Agriculture  in  its  early  stages  followed  close  on  the  heels  of 
the  lumberman.  Pine  forests  lined  the  Black  River  and  cov- 
ered the  east  half  of  the  county.  During  the  process  of  mar- 
keting this  timber,  railroads  were  built,  sawmills  established, 
and  towns  grew  up  around  the  sawmills  and  lumber  camps. 
Roads  were  opened  from  town  to  town,  and  the  land  seeker  was 
attracted  to  the  locality. 

The  first  settlement  began  about  1850.  Wheat  was  the  popu- 
lar crop  at  first  because  it  always  found  a market.  Many  farm- 
ers hauled  their  wheat  twenty  to  forty  miles  or  more  with  ox 
teams  to  the  nearest  railroad  point.  The  grain  raising  was 
confined  to  the  western  half  of  the  county  where  most  of  the 
soil  is  heavy  and  better  adapted  to  grains  than  the  soil  of  the 
east  half  of  the  county. 

By  1880  there  were  1600  farms  which  have  increased  to  about 
2500  at  the  present  time.  Since  1880  wheat  raising  has  de- 
clined two-thirds  while  oat  growing  has  increased  four,  and  rye 
seven  times.  Due  to  the  too  continuous  raising  of  wheat,  the 
yields  were  reduced  *for  a time  and  because  also  of  low  prices 
and  plant  diseases  the  raising  of  this  crop  fell  off.  As  commu- 
nication and  marketing  facilities  became  better,  live  stock  and 
dairy  farming  came  to  the  front.  At  present  much  more  live 
stock  is  sold  from  the  farms  than  formerly  and  cheese  factories 
and  silos  are  becoming  generally  distributed  in  the  west  half 
of  the  county,  though  grain  raising  still  holds  a large  share  of 
the  agricultural  activity  of  several  of  the  townships. 

Agricultural  development  in  the  eastern  half  of  the  county 
has  been  very  slow,  and  by  far  the  greater  proportion  of  this 
land  is  unimproved.  Future  progress  in  this  region  will  depend 
upon  the  drainage  of  the  marshes  and  in  the  development  of 
methods  through  which  the  farming  of  the  sandy  soils  and 
marsh  lands  can  be  made  profitable. 


80 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY 


CHAPTER  VIII 
CLIMATE 

The  climate  of  that  portion  of  Jackson  county  lying  east  of 
Black  River  is  typical  of  the  large  area  of  central  Wisconsin 
which  has  been  described  in  a study  of  the  climate  of  Wisconsin* 
as  the  Wisconsin  River  Basin.  This  region  appears  to  be  slightly 


cooler  than  the  Mississippi  Valley  to  the  west  or  the  Michigan 
shore  to  the  east,  being  cooler  than  the  former  in  summer,  and 
colder  than  the  latter  in  winter.  This  Wisconsin  River  Basin 
averages  about  ten  days  in  winter  when  the  temperature  drops 


*Wis.  Exp.  Station  Bulletin  No.  223. 


CLIMATE. 


81 


lower  than  ten  degrees  below  zero,  and  thirteen  days  in  summer 
when  the  termometer  rises  above  ninety.  The  growing  season 
is  somewhat  shorter,  owing  probably  to  the  altitude  and  the 
sandy  soil  and  marshy  condition  of  much  of  the  land.  Mauston, 
which  is  the  county  seat  of  Juneau  county,  has  an  average  sea- 
son of  130  days  between  frosts  as  compared  with  160  days  at 
La  Crosse  to  the  west,  149  at  Oshkosh,  and  167  at  Sheboygan  at 
the  east.  Stevens  Point  has  an  average  growing  season  of  126 
days.  From  the  accompanying  chart  it  will  be  noted  that  the 
growing  season  of  the  Wisconsin  River  Basin  averages  from  130 
to  140  days  between  killing  frosts.  There  are  many  places 
with  this  basin,  however,  especially  along  the  marsh  land  where 
killing  frosts  may  occur  any  month  during  the  year. 

The  western  part  of  Jackson  county  which  ranges  in  elevation 
from  one  to  three  hundred  feet  above  the  eastern  portion,  falls 
within  the  southern  Highlands  Division  as  another  climatic  pro- 
vince in  Wisconsin.  This  region  is  extremely  rough  and  broken, 
and  by  consulting  the  chart  it  will  be  noted  that  a portion  of 
this  region  has  a growing  season  somewhat  longer  than  the  region 
in  the  Wisconsin  River  Basin.  This  region  is  almost  entirely 
free  from  marshes ; practically  all  of  the  land  is  well  drained. 

From  the  appended  table  of  average  temperatures  and  rainfall 
from  the  station  of  Hatfield  in  Jackson  county,  it  will  be  noted 
that  the  annual  temperature  is  44.1  degrees  Fahrenheit,  and 
the  annual  mean  temperature  is  30.62  inches.  This  rainfall  is 
so  distributed  that  the  greater  part  of  it  comes  during  the  grow- 
ing season,  and  while  this  is  true,  it  frequently  happens  that 
during  the  latter  part  of  the  summer  of  some  years,  crops  suffer 
from  a lack  of  moisture.  This  is  especially  true  on  the  soils 
of  light  texture,  which  predominate  in  the  eastern  part  of  the 
county.  The  average  date  for  the  last  killing  frost  in  the  spring 
at  Hatfield  is  May  20,  and  the  day  of  the  first  killing  frost  in 
the  fall  is  September  21,  giving  an  average  growing  season  of 
124  days.  This  is  somewhat  shorter  than  the  period  given  for 
the  whole  Wisconsin  River  Basin. 

This  short  growing  season  as  well  as  the  sand  soils  aid  in 
explaining  the  comparatively  small  amount  of  corn  raised  in 
this  region,  and  the  more  extensive  development  of  the  potato 
industry.  While  corn  does  not  always  mature  in  this  region, 
it  can  be  safely  grown  as  a crop  for  the  silo,  and  for  such  use, 
the  acreage  could  be  materially  extended. 


82 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY. 


The  following  table  gives  the  average  annual  temperature 
and  rainfall  conditions  at  Hatfield,  a station  in  the  north  central 
part  of  the  county  on  the  Green  Bay  Railroad. 

Mean  temperature  in  degrees  Fahrenheit: 

Jan.  Feb.  Mar.  Apr.  May  June  July  Aug.  Sept.  Oct.  Nov.  Dec.  Annual 

14.9  14.3  28.4  46.9  58.8  66.9  70.6  67.7  60.8  48.8  32.4  18.5  44.1 

Mean  rainfall  in  inches: 

0.83  0.71  1.29  2.48  4.63  4.50  3.56'  3.09  3.49  3.07  1.61  1.36  30.62 


SUMMARY. 


83 


SUMMARY 

Jackson  county  is  located  in  the  west  central  part  of  Wiscon- 
sin, and  comprises  1,001  square  miles  or  640,640  acres.  It  may 
be  divided  roughly  into  two  distinct  topographical  and  agricul- 
tural regions..  The  western  part,  west  of  the  Black  River,  is 
largely  a rough  rolling  country  with  soil  of  good  quality  pre- 
dominating and  an  agriculture  which  is  highly  developed,  while 
east  of  the  Black  River  the  region  is  largely  an  extensive  sandy 
plain  with  many  marshes,  with  the  predominating  soil  of  low 
agricultural  value  and  being  but  slightly  improved. 

While  the  first  settlement  was  made  as  early  as  1818  or  1819, 
there  was  but  little  in  the  way  of  agricultural  development  prior 
to  1850.  The  county  was  established  in  1853,  and  the  village 
of  Black  River  Falls  was  incorporated  in  1866.  All  of  the  west- 
ern part  of  the  county  is  now  well  settled,  but  in  the  eastern 
part  the  region  is  very  sparsely  settled. 

Two  railway  systems  traverse  the  area,  and  these  provide 
transportation  facilities  for  the  region,  although  some  portions 
of  the  county  are  quite  distant  from  the  nearest  shipping  point. 
From  Black  River  Falls  to  Madison  is  127  miles,  and  to  Chicago 
250  miles,  while  to  Minneapolis  it  is  152  miles.  These  distances 
are  over  the  Chicago  and  Northwestern  Line. 

The  mean  annual  temperature  is  about  43.8  degrees,  and  the 
mean  annual  precipitation  31.6  inches.  The  marshy  region  in 
the  eastern  part  of  the  county  is  much  more  liable  to  have  sum- 
mer frosts  than  the  hilly  country  to  the  west. 

In  the  western  part  of  the  county,  agriculture  is  well  devel- 
oped, and  the  region  is  in  a prospei’ous  condition,  while  in  the 
eastern  part  there  is  but  little  development,  due  to  the  sandy 
and  marshy  condition  of  the  soils. 

Jackson  county  lies  almost  entirely  within  the  unglaciated  por- 
tion of  the  state,  and  the  soils  have  been  derived  largely  from 
the  disintegration  products  of  the  underlying  sandstone  and 
shale,  and  also  from  the  wind  blown  material  known  as  loess. 
In  addition  to  these  sources  of  origin  there  are  also  large  tracts 


84 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  JACKSON  COUNTY. 


which  have  been  modified  by  the  action  of  water  and  deposited 
in  the  form  of  stream  terraces  or  valley  fill.  Accumulations  of 
vegetable  matter  have  also  given  rise  to  extensive  bodies  of 
peat,  and  smaller  accumulations  of  organic  matter  have  modified 
several  of  the  various  soil  formations. 

Including  rough  stony  land  and  peat,  twenty-eight  types  of 
soil  were  recognized  and  mapped  in  Jackson  county. 

The  Knox  series  includes  the  light-colored  upland  soils  which 
are  largely  of  loessial  origin,  and  which  include  the  best  exten- 
sive tracts  of  land  in  this  region.  Knox  silt  loam,  with  its  steep 
phase  was  mapped. 

The  Boone  series  includes  soils  derived  directly  from  the 
weathering  of  the  Potsdam  sandstone.  In  some  cases  some  shale 
and  also  loess  had  modified  some  of  the  types.  The  types  mapped 
are  Boone  loam,  fine  sandy  loam,  fine  sand,  sand,  with  phases 
of  some  of  these  types. 

Lintonia  soils  are  made  up  chiefly  of  secondary  loess  now 
found  as  terraces  throughout  the  region  of  Knox  soils.  The 
types  mapped  are  Lintonia  silt  loam,  loam,  and  fine  sandy  loam. 

Bates  soils  are  very  similar  to  the  Knox,  except  they  are  dark- 
colored,  semi-prairie  soils.  The  silt  loam  was  the  only  type 
mapped. 

The  Plainfield  series  consists  of  light-colored  alluvial  soils 
found  as  terraces,  valley  fill,  or  outwash  plains.  In  this  county, 
the  following  types  were  mapped : Plainfield  fine  sandy  loam, 

sandy  loam,  sand,  and  fine  sand. 

The  Vesper  series  consists  of  residual  soils  which  have  been 
derived  largely  from  a shalv  phase  of  the  Potsdam  sandstone, 
and  which  usually  have  a subsoil  containing  considerable  clay 
or  shaly  material.  They  are  nearly  level,  and  usually  rather 
poorly  drained  because  of  the  shale  in  the  subsoil.  The  types 
mapped  are  Vesper  silt  loam,  fine  sandy  loam,  and  sandy  loam. 

The  Dunning  series  consists  of  low  lying  dark-colored  poorly 
drained  sandy  soils  bordering  marshy  tracts.  It  may  be  resid- 
ual or  alluvial  in  origin.  Only  the  Dunning  sand  was  mapped 
in  this  area. 

The  Wabash  series  includes  the  dark  colored  bottom  land  soils 
in  the  western  part  of  the  area,  where  the  upland  soils  are 
largely  Knox  silt  loam.  The  types  silt  loam  and  loam  were 
mapped. 


SUMMARY . 85 

The  Genesee  series  includes  the  light-colored  first  bottom  soils. 
The  types  mapped  are  silt  loam,  fine  sandy  loam,  and  fine  sand, 

Peat  consists  of  decaying  vegetable  matter  in  various  stages 
of  decomposition.  Several  depths  were  indicated  in  the  field 
work,  and  of  these,  the  shallow  phase  is  shown  on  the  final  map. 

Rough  stony  land  consists  of  steep,  rough,  and  rocky  land 
which  is  too  rough  or  too  rocky  to  be  cultivated.  Its  chief  value 
is  for  the  limited  amount  of  pasture  which  it  affords. 


- 


WISCONSIN  GEOLOGICAL  AND  NATURAL  HISTORY  SURVEY 

W:  O:  HOTCHKISS,  Director  and  State  Geologist 
A:  R:  WHITSON,  In  Charge  Division  of  Soils 

SOIL  SURVEY  IN  COOPERATION  WITH  THE  COLLEGE  OF  AGRICULTURE 
H.  L.  RUSSELL,  Dean 


BULLETIN  NO.  54--C  SOIL  SERIES  NO.  25 


SOIL  SURVEY 

OF 

WAUPACA  COUNTY 

WISCONSIN 


BY 

A.  R.  WHITSON,  W.  J.  G-EIB,  and  MARTIN  O.  TOSTERUD 
OIF  THE 

Wisconsin  Geological  and  Natural  History  Survey 

AND 

CLARENCE  LOUNSBURY  OIF  THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE 


SURVEY  CONDUCTED  IN  COOPERATION  WITH  THE  UNITED  STATES 
DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE,  BUREAU  OF  SOILS, 
MILTON  WHITNEY,  CHIEF 
CURTIS  F.  MARBUT,  IN  CHARGE  SOIL  SURVEY 


MADISON,  WISCONSIN 
PUBLISHED  BY  THE  STATE 
1921 


Wisconsin  Geological  and  Natural  History  Survey 


BOARD  OF  COMMISSIONERS. 

EMANUEL  L.  PHILIPP, 

Governor  of  the  State. 

EDWARD  A.  BIRGE,  President. 

President  of  the  University  of  Wisconsin. 

President  of  the  Wisconsin  Academy  of  Sciences,  Arts,  and  Letters. 

CHARLES  P.  CARY,  Vice-President. 

State  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction. 


STAFF  OF  THE  SURVEY,  1919. 

ADMINISTRATION: 

William  0.  Hotchkiss,  State  Geologist,  Director  and  Superintendent. 

In  immediate  charge  of  Geology  Division. 

Ernest  F.  Bean,  Assistant  State  Geologist. 

Lillian  M.  Veerhusen,  Chief  Clerk. 

Frances  Walker,  Clerk  "and  Stenographer. 

Angeline  Doll,  Clerk. 

GEOLOGY  DIVISION: 

William  0.  Hotchkiss,  In  charge. 

Ernest  F.  Bean,  Geologist,  Mineral  Land  Classification. 

T.  C.  Chamberlin,  Consulting  Geologist,  Pleistocene  Geology. 

E.  0.  Ulrich,  Consulting  Geologist,  Stratigraphy,  by  cooperation  of  the 

U.  S.  G.  S. 

H.  R.  Aldrich,  Geologist. 

R.  H.  Whitbeck,  Geographer. 

Edw.  iSteidtmann,  Geologist,  Limestones 

F.  T.  Thwaites,  Geologist,  Well  Records,  Educational  Rock  Collection. 

NATURAL  HISTORY  DIVISION: 

Edward  A.  Birge,  In  charge. 

Chancey  Juday,  Lake  Survey. 

DIVISION  OF  SOILS: 

A.  R.  Whitson,  In  charge. 

W.  J.  Geib,  Inspector  and  Editor. 

M.  J.  Dunnewald,  Field  Assistant  and  Analyst. 

M.  0.  Tosterud,  Field  Assistant  and  Analyst 
F.  J.  O’Connell,  Field  Assistant 

V.  C.  Leaper,  Field  Assistant 

W.  H.  Pierre,  Field  Assistant 
J.  E.  Kubier,  Field  Assistant 

•Scientist  in  Soil  Survey,  In  charge  of  field  parties  for  The  Bureau  of  Soils,  U.  S. 
Department  of  Agriculture. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


Page 

TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 3 

ILLUSTRATIONS  5 

INTRODUCTION  7 

CHAPTER  I. 

General  description  of  area 11 

Soils  14 

CHAPTER  II. 

Group  of  Heavy  Soils  18 

Kennan  silt  loam 18 

Antigo  silt  loam 19 

Chemical  composition  and  fertility  of  Kennan  and  Antigo  silt 

loams  20 

Superior  clay  loam  22 

Superior  silt  loam  24 

Superior  silt  loam,  rolling  phase 25 

Chemical  composition  and  fertility  of  Superior  clay,  silt  loam, 
and  silt  loam,  rolling  phase 25 

CHAPTER  III. 

Group  of  Loams  and  IFine  Sandy  Loams 28 

Kennan  loam  28 

Kennan  fine  sandy  loam 30 

Antigo  loam  32 

Antigo  fine  sandy  loam 32 

Chemical  composition  and  improvement  of  Antigo  loam  and 

fine  sandy  loam 33 

Superior  loam  35 

Superior  loam,  rolling  phase 36 

Superior  fine  sandy  loam 38 

Superior  fine  sandy  loam,  rolling  phase 39 

Superior  sandy  loam  41 

Superior  sandy  loam,  rolling  phase 41 

Chemical  composition  and  improvement  of  Superior  loam,  fine 
sandy  loam,  and  sandy  loam 43 


4 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Page 

Group  of  Sandy  Loams  and  Fine  Sands  45 

Plainfield  fine  sand  45 

Plainfield  sandy  loam  46 

Coloma  fine  sand 47 

Vilas  sandy  loam 48 

Chemical  composition  and  fertility  of  sandy  loams  and  fine 
sands  50 

CHAPTER  V. 

Group  of  Sand  Soils 53 

Plainfield  sand  53 

Vilas  sand  54 

Chemical  composition  and  fertility  of  sands 56 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Group  of  Poorly  Drained  Soils  59 

Genesee  fine  sandy  loam 59 

Genesee  silt  loam  60 

Whitman  silt  loam 60 

Dunning  fine  sandy  loam 62 

Poygan  clay  loam  63 

Poygan  fine  sandy  loam 64 

Poygan  silt  loam  65 

Chemical  composition  and  fertility  of  Poygan  clay  loam,  silt 

loam  and  fine  sandy  loam 66 

Peat  67 

CHAPTER  VII. 

General  Agriculture  of  Waupaca  County  72 

Climate  81 

Summary 83 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


PLATES  AND  FIGURES 

Page 

Plate  I.  View  showing  gently  rolling  features  characteristics  of 

the  Kennan  series 19 

View  showing  utilization  of  stony  land 19 

Plate  II.  An  implement  for  lifting  and  removing  large  bowlders  27 
View  showing  surface  features  typical  of  the  Superior 
series  of  soils 27 

Plate  III.  View  showing  rolling  surface  of  Vilas  sand 55 

Typical  level  surface  of  Plainfield  sand 55 

Figure  I.  Sketch  map  of  state  showing  areas  surveyed 11 

Figure  II.  Sketch  map  showing  geological  formations 15 

MAP 


Soil  map  of  Waupaca  county,  Wisconsin 


Attached  to  back  cover 


. 


’ 


' 


' . 


INTRODUCTION 


Before  the  greatest  success  in  agriculture  can  be  reached,  it 
is  necessary  that  the  farmer  should  have  a thorough  knowledge 
of  the  soil  upon  his  own  farm.  A soil  may  be  well  adapted  to 
one  crop,  and  poorly  adapted  to  another  crop.  Clover  will  pro- 
duce a vigorous  growth  and  profitable  yields  on  the  average 
loam  soil  which  contains  lime  and  is  in  a sweet  condition;  but 
on  a sandy  soil  which  is  sour,  or  in  an  acid  condition,  clover 
will  not  make  a satisfactory  growth.  We  may  say,  therefore, 
that  failure  is  certain  to  be  invited  when  such  important  facts 
are  disregarded,  or  overlooked.  The  degree  of  success  which  it 
is  possible  to  win  on  any  farm  is  in  direct  proportion  to  the 
practical  knowledge  possessed  by  the  farmer  concerning  the  soil 
and  its  adaptation  to  crops.  A thorough  knowledge  of  the  soil 
is  as  essential  to  the  farmer  as  a knowledge  of  merchandise  and 
business  methods  is  to  the  merchant. 

The  State  of  Wisconsin,  working  in  cooperation  with  the 
United  States  Department  of  Agriculture,  is  making  a careful 
study  of  soils  and  agricultural  conditions  throughout  Wiscon- 
sin, and  is  preparing  soil  maps  and  soil  reports  of  all  counties 
in  the  State.  A soil  map  shows  the  location  and  extent  of  the 
different  kinds  of  soil.  Tracts  of  10  acres  and  over  are  mapped, 
but  often  areas  of  even  smaller  extent  are  shown.  The  soil 
map  is  prepared  by  trained  men,  who  go  over  a county  thor- 
oughly, and  examine  the  soil  by  making  a sufficient  number  of 
borings  to  a depth  of  36  inches  to  keep  account  of  all  varia- 
tions. A report  is  also  made,  to  accompany  and  explain  the 
map,  and  this  is  based  upon  a careful  study  of  the  soils  within 
the  region  surveyed,  and  upon  such  other  features  as  have  a 
direct  bearing  upon  the  agriculture  of  the  area. 

It  is  the  object  of  this  survey  to  make  an  inventory  of  the 
soils  of  the  State,  and  to  be  of  practical  help  to  farmers  by  lo- 
cating and  describing  the  different  soils,  by  determining  their 
physical  character  and  chemical  composition,  and  by  offering 


8 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY. 


suggestions  for  their  management,  based  upon  the  work  of  the 
Soil  Survey  within  the  area,  covered  in  the  report,  and  upon 
the  results  of  field  tests  made  by  the  Experiment  Station. 

Soil  fertility  depends  upon  two  factors : first,  upon  the  physi- 
cal characteristics  of  the  soil,  such  as  water  holding  capacity, 
workability,  etc.,  and  second,  upon  the  chemical  composition 
of  the  material  composing  the  soil.  The  chemical  composition 
depends  upon  the  mode  of  origin  of  the  soil,  and  the  source  of 
material  from  which  the  soil  is  derived. 

Water  holding  capacity  and  other  physical  properties  of  soil 
all  depend  chiefly  upon  texture , which  refers  to  the  size  of  the 
individual  soil  grains,  or  particles.  A coarse  sandy  soil,  for  ex- 
ample, will  not  retain  moisture  so  long  as  a loam  soil,  or  clay 
loam,  because  the  finer  the  soil  grains,  the  greater  will  be  the 
total  soil-grain  surface  area  to  which  moisture  may  adhere. 
Texture  is  determined  in  the  field  by  rubbing  the  soil  between 
the  thumb  and  fingers,  and  with  experience  one  soon  becomes 
expert  at  judging  the  size  of  soil  grains.  This  field  judgment 
is  verified  in  the  laboratory  by  a mechanical  analysis,  which 
is  made  by  a simple  method  of  separating  soil  grains  into  dif- 
ferent groups,  of  which  there  are  seven.  These  are  known  as 
clay,  silt,  very  fine  sand,  fine  sand,  medium  sand,  coarse  sand, 
and  fine  gravel. 

A chemical  analysis  is  also  made  of  the  soil  to  determine  the 
amounts  of  various  essential  plant-food  elements  which  are 
present.  A chemical  analysis  shows  whether  the  soil  contains 
a large  store  of  plant  food,  or  only  a small  quantity,  and  it  in- 
dicates which  kinds  of  plant  food  will  probably  be  needed  first. 
The  amount  of  organic  matter  in  the  soil  is  also  determined,  and 
tests  are  made  to  show  conditions  relative  to  soil  acidity. 


SOIL  CLASSIFICATION 

Soils  are  grouped  according  to  texture  into  soil  classes,  a soil 
class  being  made  up  of  soils  having  the  same  texture,  though 
differing  in  other  respects.  A fine  sand,  for  example,  may  be 
light  colored  and  of  alluvial  origin,  while  another  fine  sand  may 
be  dark  in  color  and  of  residual  origin,  while  a third  fine  sand 
may  have  been  blown  into  sand  dunes  by  the  wind,  yet  all  of 
these  soils  would  belong  to  the  same  class,  because  the  greater 


INTRODUCTION. 


9 


proportion  of  the  soil  grains  have  the  same  size  or  texture. 
Thus  we  may  have  different  kinds  of  clays,  loams,  sands,  etc., 
and  the  class  to  which  any  soil  will  belong  depends  upon  the 
size  of  the  individual  soil  grains  of  which  it  is  composed,  and 
not  upon  its  color,  origin,  topographic  position,  or  agricultural 
value. 


Soils  Containing  Less  Than  20%  ISilt  and  Clay 

Coarse  sand. — Over  25%  fine  gravel  and  coarse  sand,  and  less  than 
50%  of  any  other  grade  of  sand. 

Sand. — Over  25'%  fine  gravel,  coarse  and  medium  sand,  and  less  than 
50%  fine  sand. 

Fine  sand. — Over  50'%  fine  sand,  or  less  than  25%  fine  gravel,  coarse 
and  medium  sand. 

Very  fine  sand. — Over  50%  very  fine  sand. 

Soils  Containing  Between  20-50%  of  Silt  and  Clay 

Sandy  loam. — Over  25%  fine  gravel,  coarse  and  medium  sand. 

Fine  sandy  loam. — Over  50%  fine  sand,  or  less  than  25%  fine  gravel, 
coarse  and  medium  sand. 

Sandy  clay. — (Less  than  20'%  silt. 

'Soils  Containing  over  50%  of  Silt  and  Clay. 

Loam. — Less  than  20%  clay,  and  less  than  50%  silt. 

Silt  loam. — Less  than  20'%  clay,  and  over  50%  silt. 

Clay  loam. — Between  20  and  30%  clay,  and  less  than  50%  silt. 

Silty  clay  loam. — Between  20  and  30%  clay,  and  over  50%  silt. 

Clay. — Over  30%  clay. 

Soils  may  may  be  grouped  in  another  way.  Where  soils  are 
closely  related  through  similar  sources  of  the  material  from 
which  derived,  mode  of  origin,  topographic  position,  etc.,  so 
that  the  different  soils  constitute  merely  a graduation  in  text- 
ure of  otherwise  uniform  material,  such  a group  is  called  a soil 
series.  It  corresponds  to  the  family  which  is  made  up  of  dif- 
ferent individuals  having  the  same  parentage.  The  Miami 
series,  for  examples,  includes  light  colored,  glacial  material 
where  the  soils  have  been  derived  largely  from  the  underlying 
limestone,  and  the  soils  in  the  series  range  in  texture  from  a clay 
loam  to  sand  and  gravel.  The  Plainfield  series  includes  light 
colored  soils  in  regions  where  no  limestone  is  present,  where  the 
parent  rock  was  largely  sandstone,  and  where  the  material  oc- 
curs as  outwash  plains  or  stream  terraces.  The  soils  in  this 
series  also  have  a wide  range  in  texture.  The  name  used  for  a 
soil  series  usually  indicates  the  locality  where  that  particular 
series  was  first  recognized  and  mapped  by  the  Soil  Survey. 


10 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY. 


By  uniting  the  soil  class  with  the  soil  series  we  get  the 
soil  type  which  is  the  basis  or  unit  of  classifying  and  mapping 
soils.  A soil  type  thus,  is  a soil  which  is  uniform  throughout 
its  entire  extent  in  texture,  color,  topographic  position,  and 
other  physical  properties,  and  having  a distinct  agricultural 
unity,  that  is,  being  adapted  to  the  same  crops,  and  requiring 
the  same  treatment.  It  is  also  uniform  in  the  source  of  ma- 
terial from  which  it  is  derived,  and  the  mode  of  origin  which, 
taken  together,  determine  the  chemical  composition.  Since  the 
soil  type  is  the  unit  in  classifying  and  mapping  soils,  and  the 
basis  upon  which  experimental  work  should  be  conducted,  every 
farmer  should  be  familiar  with  the  soil  types  on  his  farm,  and 
their  leading  characteristics. 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY, 
WISCONSIN 


CHAPTER  I. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  AREA 

Waupaca  County  is  situated  a little  to  the  east  of  the  center 
of  the  State  of  Wisconsin.  It  comprises  an  area  of  about  759, 
square  miles,  or  485,760  acres.  Waupaca,  the  county  seat,  is  221 
miles  from  Chicago  and  146  miles  from  Milwaukee  by  rail. 


/Figure  I.  iSketch  map  showing  the  areas  surveyed. 

The  surface  features  of  the  region  may  be  considered  as  fall- 
ing into  three  divisions.  In  the  northwestern  quarter  of  the 
county,  which  is  the  highest  portion  of  the  area,  the  surface 
varies  from  gently  rolling  to  hilly,  and  in  many  places  stones 
and  boulders  are  very  plentiful.  This  portion  of  the  county  is 
underlain  by  granitic  rocks  which  outcrop  frequently. 


12 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY. 


The  southwestern  quarter  of  the  county  is  characterized  by 
extensive  sandy  plains.  The  surface  is,  for  the  most  part,  level 
and  is  almost  entirely  stone  free.  In  this  region  there  are  a 
number  of  beautiful  lakes  chiefly  in  Farmington  and  Dayton 
townships. 

The  region  which  may  be  considered  as  forming  the  third 
class  occupies  the  greater  portion  of  the  east  half  of  the  county. 
The  surface  varies  from  level  to  gently  rolling,  and  the  most 
characteristic  feature  is  the  heavy  red  clay  subsoil.  This  is  the 
lowest  portion  of  the  county.  While  the  underlying  material 
is  of  a clayey  nature,  and  while  the  surface  soil  is  also  fre- 
quently heavy  in  character,  there  are  a number  of  places 
throughout  this  region  where  there  are  areas  of  fine  sand  which 
appear  to  have  been  dumped  down  upon  the  i*ed  clay.  It  is 
frequent  to  find  therefore  very  sharp  soil  boundary  lines  where 
the  range  in  texture  changes  from  a fine  sand  to  a loam  or  clay 
within  a very  short  distance. 

The  region  of  highest  elevation  is  found  in  the  northwestern 
part  of  the  county,  and  the  general  slope  is  from  this  section 
to  the  south  and  also  to  the  east.  Elevations  above  sea  level  at 
various  places  are  as  follows:  Iola  930  feet;  Waupaca  870  feet; 
Manawa  828  feet;  Northport  779  feet;  New  London  767  feet; 
and  Weyauwega  779  feet. 

All  of  the  county  lies  within  the  drainage  basin  of  the  Wolf 
River,  which  flows  in  a southwesterly  direction  across  the  south- 
eastern portion  of  the  county.  The  Embarrass  River,  which  is 
one  of  its  largest  tributaries,  enters  the  Wolf  near  New  London 
a short  distance  outside  of  Waupaca  County.  The  Little  Wolf, 
Pigeon  and  Waupaca  Rivers  are  smaller  streams  within  the 
county.  All  of  these  drainage  waters  flow  through  the  Wolf  into 
the  Fox  River  and  thence  into  Green  Bay  and  Lake  Michigan. 

Scattered  throughout  the  county  arc  numerous  marsh  areas 
and  some  lakes.  The  most  extensive  tracts  of  marsh  are  found 
in  the  southeastern  quarter  of  the  county  along  the  Wolf  River. 
For  the  most  part  the  marsh  areas  of  this  county  arc  still  un- 
developed. 

The  Wolf  River  as  it  passes  through  this  county  is  very  slug- 
gish. The  entire  fall  between  Shawano  and  where  the  Wolf 
joins  the  Fox  River  is  less  than  one-half  foot  per  mile.  The 
Embarrass  River  where  it  crosses  the  county  is  also  sluggish. 
The  streams  flowing  into  these  two  rivers,  however,  from  the 


GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  AREA. 


13 


west  and  coming  out  of  the  higher  portions  of  the  county,  have 
considerable  fall.  Water  power  is  being  used  in  a limited  way 
on  these  streams  at  Big  Falls,  Waupaca,  Manawa,  and  Weyau- 
wega.  There  is  considerable  water  power  on  these  small  streams 
which  is  still  undeveloped.  The  water  supply  for  stock  and 
farming  purposes  throughout  the  county  is  excellent.  In  the 
eastern  half  of  the  county  there  are  many  flowing  wells  and  in 
the  western  half  excellent  water  can  be  secured  without  diffi- 
culty. 

The  first  settler  is  reported  to  have  arrived  in  Waupaca 
County  in  1843,  settling  at  the  present  site  of  Fremont.  By 
1849  a number  of  settlers  had  taken  up  lands  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  county.  The  county  was  organized  practically  as 
now  existing,  in  1851 — claims  to  the  territory  being  finally  sur- 
rendered by  the  Menomonie  Indians  in  1852. 

In  1910  the  population  #of  Waupaca  County  was  32,782.  Of 
the  total  population  83.7%  is  classed  in  the  census  report  as 
rural.  The  density  of  the  rural  population  is  given  as  36.1% 
persons  per  square  mile. 

Waupaca,  the  county  seat,  had  a population  in  1910  of  2,789. 
New  London,  with  a population  of  nearly  4,000,  is  located  on 
the  east  county  line,  partly  in  Waupaca  and  partly  in  Outa- 
gamie County.  Among  other  towns  and  villages  within  the 
area  are  Clintonville,  Marion,  Manawa,  Ogdensbiirg,  Scandi- 
navia, Iola,  Weyauwega,  Fremont,  Royalton  and  Northport. 

Three  railway  systems  have  lines  extending  into  this  county. 
These  railroads  offer  good  transportation  facilities  to  nearly  all 
portions  of  the  county.  In  the  southwestern  portion  and  in 
other  regions  where  the  soils  are  sandy,  the  wagon  roads  are 
usually  of  a sandy  nature.  Throughout  the  remainder  of  the 
county  where  the  soils  are  heavier,  the  roads  are  naturally  bet- 
ter. In  many  places  they  have  been  macadamized,  and  new  and 
improved  highways  are  constantly  being  built.  Rural  mail  de- 
livery routes  reach  all  parts  of  the  county,  and  the  telephone  is 
in  common  use  through  the  country  districts. 

The  towns  within  the  county  provide  markets  for  consider- 
able farm  produce,  but  most  of  the  surplus  from  the  farms  is 
shipped  to  outside  markets.  Live  stock  goes  mostly  to  Chicago 


* In  the  edition  of  this  report  published  by  the  U.  ,S.  Bureau  of  Soils 
the  population  of  Waupaca  County  was  erroneously  given  as  23,782 

for  1910. 


14 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY. 


and  Milwaukee,  as  does  also  the  potato  crop.  Dairy  products 
find  a market  throughout  the  middle  west. 


SOILS 

Waupaca  County,  in  common  with  several  other  counties  in 
the  central  portion  of  Wisconsin,  owes  the  general  character  of 
its  surface  material  to  several  distinct  methods  of  accumula- 
tion. These  materials  may  be  glacial,  lacustrine  or  alluvial. 
To  these  important  agencies  may  be  added  the  accumulation  of 
organic  matter  in  low  places  which  has  resulted  in  the  forma- 
tion of  peat. 

In  the  geological  classification  based  upon  the  character  of 
the  underlying  rocks,  the  county  falls  into  three  divisions.  The 
surface  rock  in  the  northwestern  portion  of  the  county  consists 
of  crystalline  rock,  chiefly  of  granite  and  gneiss.  Throughout 
this  granitic  rock  region,  rock  outcrops  are  frequently  seen. 
Stone  and  boulders  are  plentiful. 

In  the  extreme  southeastern  corner  of  the  county  in  the 
southeastern  portion  of  Caledonia  township,  there  is  a remnant 
of  Lower  Magnesian  limestone  Avhich  outcrops  or  comes  very 
near  the  surface  in  Sections  11,  12,  13  and  14. 

All  of  the  remainder  of  the  county,  which  makes  up  a total 
of  over  half  of  the  area  surveyed,  has  Potsdam  sandstone  as  the 
surface  rock  formation.  As  this  rock  is  rather  soft  there  are 
but  few  outcrops,  and  in  most  cases  it  is  buried  at  a consider- 
able depth  by  glacial,  lacustrine  and  alluvial  materials.  The 
accompanying  sketch  shows  the  extent  of  the  three  rock  forma- 
tions within  Waupaca  County. 

All  of  the  county  has  been  traversed  by  an  ice  sheet  of  the 
Late  Wisconsin  glaciation.  The  section  of  the  county  having 
the  most  pronounced  glacial  features  is  the  west  half  of  the 
county,  and  especially  the  northwest  quarter.  Stream  terraces 
and  outwash  plains  are  numerous  in  the  southwestern  part  of 
the  county,  and  rather  extensive  terraces  are  also  found  along 
Pigeon  River  in  the  north-central  part  of  the  county.  Exten- 
sive alluvial  deposits  occur  along  the  Embarrass  and  Wolf  Riv- 
ers. Pot-holes,  recessional  moraines  and  drumlins  are  other 
evidences  of  glaciation  which  are  found  in  various  parts  of  the 
county.  Marshes  are  quite  plentiful,  and  from  a geological 
standpoint  the  topography  of  the  whole  area  is  young.  The 


GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  AREA. 


15 


large  number  of  boulders  which  occur  have  probably  not  been 
transported  for  any  great  distance. 

The  rock  formations  in  the  county  have  contributed  to  a 
greater  or  less  extent  in  the  formation  of  the  soils.  By  far  the 
greater  proportion  of  the  material  has  come  from  crystalline 
rocks  and  from  sandstone.  Since  these  materials  were  first  de- 
posited by  the  ice  sheet  they  have  been  modified  by  running  wa- 
ter, by  the  action  of  wind,  by  weathering  and  by  accumulation 


'S'/a.-f  Rne  Rut  Rise 


Fig.  2.  Sketch  map  showing  the  surface  rock  formations  in  Waupaca  County.  All  of 
these  formations  have  contributed)  to  the  making  of  the  soils. 

and  decay  of  vegetable  matter.  In  the  soil  survey  of  Waupaca 
County  the  soils  have  been  classified  into  eight  series  and  thirty- 
two  types,  not  including  peat.  In  several  instances,  phases  of 
some  of  the  types  have  been  recognized. 

The  soil  series  (which  correspond  to  the  family  groups)  are 
not  shown  on  the  soil  map  which  accompanies  this  report,  and 
are  described  here  only  very  briefly.  The  individual  soil  types, 
however,  are  shown  on  the  map,  each  being  indicated  by  a dis- 
tinct color.  It  is  the  soil  type  in  which  we  are  especially  inter- 
ested, since  the  type  is  the  unit  in  mapping  and  classification 
of  soils.  Following  is  a complete  list  of  the  soil  types  mapped 
in  the  county  and  the  series  or  family  groups  to  which  each  type 


16 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY. 


belongs.  Following  this  general  discussion  of  the  soils  will  be 
found  a full  and  detailed  description  of  all  of  the  types,  to- 
gether with  statements  covering  the  present  uses  of  the  soils  and 
the  methods  through  which  each  type  can  best  be  improved. 

The  Kennan  series  includes  light  colored  upland  soils  in  the 
timbered  regions  where  the  soils  have  been  derived  through  gla- 
cial action  from  granitic  rocks.  These  soils  are  always  acid,  and 
are  frequently  quite  stony.  The  types  mapped  in  Waupaca 
County  are  the  Kennan  fine  sandy  loam,  loam  and  silt  loam. 

The  Antigo  series  also  includes  light  colored  upland  soils  in 
the  timbered  region  where  the  material  has  been  derived  from 
glaciated  granitic  debris  which  has  been  deposited  by  water  in 
the  form  of  level  plains  taking  the  form  of  outwash  plains  or 
stream  terraces.  The  lower  subsoil  of  the  types  in  this  series  is 
usually  sandy  or  gravelly.  The  types  mapped  are  the  fine  sandy 
loam,  loam  and  silt  loam. 

The  most  characteristic  feature  of  the  Superior  series  is  the 
heavy  red  clay  subsoil  which  was  deposited  in  quiet  waters  and 
later  modified  to  varying  degrees  by  glacial  action.  Typically 
the  surface  is  level  or  nearly  so,  and  the  natural  drainage  some- 
what deficient.  Wherb  the  surface  is  sufficiently  rolling  to  in- 
sure fair  to  good  drainage  the  term  “rolling  phase”  is  attached 
to  the  various  types.  The  types  mapped  here  are  the  Superior 
sandy  loam,  fine  sandy  loam,  loam,  silt  loam  and  clay  loam.  All 
of  these  types  except  the  clay  loam  have  a rolling  phase  which 
is  shown  on  the  map. 

The  Coloma  series  includes  light  colored  upland  soils  where 
the  material  has  been  derived  chiefly  from  sandstone  rocks 
through  glacial  action.  Varying  amounts  of  granitic  material 
are  mixed  in  with  the  sandstone  particles.  The  types  mapped 
are  Coloma  sand  and  fine  sand. 

The  Plainfield  series  is  made  up  of  the  same  material  as  the 
Coloma  except  that  it  has  been  deposited  by  water  in  the  form 
of  level  plains,  known  as  stream  terraces  or  outwash  plains. 
The  types  mapped  are  the  Plainfield  fine  sand,  sand  and  sandy 
loam. 

The  Whitman  series  includes  dark  brown  to  black  soils  which 
occur  in  depressions  or  along  stream  channels  where  the  ma- 
terial has  been  derived  largely  from  granitic  glacial  drift.  On 
account  of  the  low  position  and  poor  drainage  there  has  been 
an  accumulation  of  organic  matter  which  accounts  for  the  dark 
color.  The  only  type  mapped  in  this  area  is  Whitman  silt  loam. 


GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  AREA. 


17 


The  Poygan  series  includes  the  dark  brown  to  black  soils 
which  occupy  depressions  in  the  region  of  Superior  soils.  The 
subsoil  is  the  same  heavy  red  clay  found  under  the  Superior 
types.  The  natural  drainage  is  poor  and  there  has  developed 
a considerable  amount  of  organic  matter  in  the  surface  soil. 
The  types  mapped  are  Poygan  fine  sandy  loam,  silt  loam  and 
clay  loam. 

The  Dunning  series  includes  dark  colored,  light  textured  soils 
occupying  low  poorly  drained  areas,  chiefly  in  the  region  where 
the  soils  are  largely  of  sandstone  origin.  The  only  type  mapped 
in  the  series  in  Waupaca  County  is  Dunning  fine  sandy  loam. 

The  Genesee  series  includes  the  brownish  soils  which  occur  as 
first  bottom  land  along  the  streams  of  the  area.  This  land  is 
subject  to  annual  overflow  and  so  can  seldom  be  utilized  for  cul- 
tivated crops.  The  types  mapped  are  the  fine  sandy  loam  and 
silt  loam. 

In  addition  to  the  soils  included  in  the  nine  series  described 
above,  a large  amount  of  peat  has  been  mapped.  This  peat  con- 
sists of  accumulations  of  vegetable  matter  in  varying  stages  of 
decomposition  and  with  which  there  has  been  incorporated  a 
small  proportion  of  mineral  matter. 

In  subsequent  pages  of  this  report  the  various  soil  types 
mapped  in  Waupaca  County  are  discussed  in  detail.  The  dis- 
tribution of  the  various  soils  is  shown  on  the  map  accompany- 
ing this  report. 


2 — W.  O. 


18 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER  II. 

GROUP  OF  HEAVY  SOILS 
Kennan  Silt  Loam 

Extent  and  Distribution. — This  type  is  not  extensive,  it  cov- 
ering a total  area  of  less  than  16  square  miles.  It  is  confined 
almost  entirely  to  the  northwest  quarter  of  the  county.  Tracts 
seldom  exceed  two  square  miles  in  extent.  Most  of  this  soil  is 
found  north  of  Waupaca,  .between  Waupaca  and  Scandinavia, 
to  the  west  of  Scandinavia,  and  also  to  the  west  and  south  of 
Iola. 

Description. — The  surface  soil  of  this  type  to  a depth  of  about 
10  inches  consists  of  a brown  or  grayish-brown,  or  in  the  upper 
few  inches  of  virgin  areas  dark  brown,  friable  silt  loam.  The 
subsoil  consists  of  yellow  or  light  yellowish  brown  silt  loam, 
which  usually  becomes  somewhat  heavier  with  depth  to  16  to  24 
inches,  where  the  texture  is  lighter, — a fine  sandy  loam,  sandy 
loam,  or  sandy  clay  loam,  usually  containing  varying  amounts 
of  fine  gravel.  The  line  between  the  silty  covering  and  the 
coarser  material  is  often  quite  sharp.  The  surface  material  is 
usually  free  from  gravel,  while  the  deep  subsoil  may  contain  a 
considerable  amount  of  it.  Boulders  occur  on  the  surface  in 
rather  irregular  distribution.  In  places  they  are  sufficiently  nu- 
merous to  interfere  with  cultivation.  Some  have  been  removed, 
but  others  are  so  large  that  moving  them  is  difficult.  Some 
areas  are  practically  stone  free. 

Topography  and  drainage. — The  surface  varies  from  gently 
rolling  to  hilly,  and  because  of  the  surface  features  the  natural 
drainage  is  good.  There  is  not  much  danger  from  erosion,  al- 
though this  should  be  kept  in  mind,  and  the  steeper  slopes  kept 
covered  with  a growing  crop  as  much  of  the  time  as  possible. 

Origin. — The  material  forming  this  soil  has  been  derived 
largely  from  crystalline  rocks  through  glacial  action.  Nearly 
all  of  the  boulders  present  are  of  crystalline  rocks  also.  There 
is  no  calcareous  material  present  and  both  soil  and  subsoil  are 
acid. 


fif  ifig 

op  iujiwM 


Wis.  Geol.  and  Natural  Hist.  Survey-. 


Plate  I. 


SHOWING  GENTLY  ROLLING  SURFACE  FEATURES  CHARACTER- 
ISTIC OF  A LARGE  PROPORTION  OF  THE  SOIL  IN  THE 
KENNAN  SERIES. 

Many  areas  of  this  soil  are  stone  free,  or  nearly  so.  The  silt  loam, 
loam  and  fine  sandy  loam  as  found  in  this  county  are  for  the  most 
part,  very  good  agricultural  land. 


SHOWING  UTILIZATION  OF  STONY  LAND. 

Soils  of  the  Kennan  series  are  stony  in  some  places  and  stone  free 
in  other  places.  Where  the  stones  interfere  seriously  with  cultivation,  the 
land,  such  as  shown  here,  supplies  excellent  grazing. 


GROUP  OF  HARVEY  SOILS. 


19 


Native  vegetation. — The  original  timber  growth  on  this  soil 
consisted  of  maple,  birch,  hemlock,  with  some  basswood,  oak  and 
elm.  Some  white  and  Norway  pine  were  also  mixed  in  with  the 
hardwood.  All  of  the  pine  has  been  removed,  and  the  best  of 
the  hardwood  has  also  been  cut,  but  there  are  still  limited  tracts 
where  some  merchantable  timber  remains. 

Present  agricultural  development .*■ — A considerable  propor- 
tion of  this  type  is  cleared,  under  cultivation,  and  in  highly  im- 
proved farms.  It  is  good  soil  for  general  farming  and  dairy- 
ing—the  chief  lines  to  which  it  is  devoted.  The  chief  crops 
grown  are  small  grain,  corn,  and  hay.  Potatoes  are  also  grown 
on  a commercial  scale  on  some  farms,  and  sugar  beets  do  well, 
though  not  grown  to  any  extent  at  present.  Peas  are  grown  to 
a limited  extent.  Com  for  ensilage  is  a certain  crop,  but  corn 
will  not  always  mature  in  this  latitude  on  account  of  frosts. 
By  growing  early  varieties  and  by  selecting  the  fields  which 
warm  up  readily  and  permit  early  planting,  the  danger  from 
frosts  can  be  materially  reduced.  Commercial  fertilizers  will 
hasten  growth  and  frequently  reduce  the  time  required  for  ma- 
turing the  crop  by  one  or  two  weeks. 

Antigo  Silt  Loam 

Extent  and  distribution. — This  type  is  of  limited  extent  and 
is  found  chiefly  in  the  west  central  part  of  the  county  in  the 
vicinity  of  Sheridan,  about  2 miles  north  of  Waupaca,  south  of 
Scandinavia  and  between  Scandinavia  and  Iola. 

Description. — The  surface  soil  of  the  silt  loam  to  an  average 
depth  of  8-10  inches  consists  of  a grayish  brown  silt  loam  which 
frequently  approaches  a loam  in  texture.  The  material  is  usu- 
ally rather  compact  in  its  natural  condition  but  when  placed 
under  cultivation,  its  structure  permits  the  securing  of  good 
tilth  very  readily.  The  upper  subsoil  consists  of  a light  brown, 
compact  loam  or  silt  loam  which  at  about  14—16  inches  grades 
into  a buff  colored  or  slightly  yellowish  brown  silty  clay  loam. 
Below  24  inches,  the  subsoil  changes  abruptly  into  a mixture  of 
sand  and  gravel  containing  very  little  clay.  The  depth  to  this 
gravelly  material  is  variable  and  in  several  instances  was  found 
to  vary  from  less  than  one  foot  to  about  three  feet. 


* For  chemical  composition  and  fertility  see  page  20. 


20 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY. 


In  most  cases  this  soil  is  free  from  large  stones  and  bowlders ; 
although  about  the  margins  of  areas  some  may  be  found,  and 
stones  from  4-8  inches  in  diameter  may  also  occur  in  small 
numbers. 

Topography  and  drainage. — The  surface  varies  from  level  to 
very  slightly  undulating  and  because  of  the  underlying  coarse 
material,  the  natural  drainage  is  good.  There  are  only  a few 
small  sags  or  potholes  where  the  drainage  is  deficient. 

Origin. — The  type  is  of  alluvial  origin  and  consists  largely  of 
crystalline  glacial  debris  deposited  as  outwash  material  or  val- 
ley fill.  None  of  the  soil-forming  particles  are  of  a calcareous 
nature,  and  the  type  shows  varying  degrees  of  acidity. 

Native  vegetation. — The  original  timber  growth  consisted  of 
maple,  birch,  and  hemlock  with  a small  amount  of  pine. 

Present  agricultural  development. — Antigo  silt  loan  is  an 
excellent  soil  and  most  of  it  is  cleared,  placed  under  cultivation, 
and  in  prosperous  farms.  Its  freedom  from  stones  makes  it 
more  desirable  than  some  of  the  upland  types.  The  type  is 
well  adapted  to  small  grains,  grasses,  potatoes,  root  crops,,  etc. 
Corn  makes  excellent  silage  and  often  matures,  but  cannot  be 
counted  on  to  mature  every  season. 

CHEMICAL  COMPOSITION  AND  FERTILITY  OF  ANTIGO  SILT  LOAM,  AND 
KENNAN  SILT  LOAM 

The  soils  of  the  Antigo,  and  Kennan  series  have  a good  sup- 
ply of  the  mineral  elements  phosphorus  and  potassium. 

Phosphorus. — The  total  amount  of  phosphorus  in  an  acre  to 
a depth  of  8 inches  varies  from  1,100  to  1,400  pounds.  This 
would  be  sufficient  for  100  to  150  crops  if  all  were  available,  but 
it  is  never  practicable  to  secure  good  growth  from  such  soils  af- 
ter the  total  phosphorous  has  been  reduced  to  six  or  eight 
hundred  pounds  and  better  results  are  always  secured  when  the 
total  phosphorous  content  of  this  layer  of  soil  is  retained  at 
from  1,500  to  2,000  pounds  per  acre  8 inches.  A farmer  on  this 
land,  therefore,  should  adopt  plans  which  will  maintain  the 
present  supply  of  this  element  rather  than  attempt  to  draw  on 
it  even  for  a short  number  of  years.  The  availability  of  this 
element  requires  a good  supply  of  organic  matter. 

Potassium. — The  element  potassium  exists  in  very  much  larger 
amounts  in  these  soils  than  does  the  element  phosphorus — in 
fact  they  contain  on  the  average  approximately  30,000  pounds 


GROUP  OF  HARVEY  SOILS. 


21 


of  this  element  per  acre  to  a depth  of  8 inches.  This  is  a suf- 
ficient supply  to  meet  the  demands  of  heavy  crops  for  several 
hundred  years.  The  entire  problem  with  reference  to  potas- 
sium therefore,  is  connected  with  its  availability.  When  a good 
supply  of  active  organic  matter  is  present  it  can  be  assumed 
that  there  is  sufficient  potassium  made  available  for  practically 
all  crops  grown  on  this  land.  In  the  case  of  a few  special  crops 
requiring  unusually  large  amounts  of  this  element,  such  as  cab- 
bage and  tobacco,  the  use  of  potash  fertilizers  may  in  some  cases 
be  profitable.  The  system  of  farming  followed  will  also  influ- 
ence the  potassium  supply.  A large  part  of  this  element  goes 
to  the  stalks  and  straw  of  the  plant  so  that  if  the  hay  and  rough 
forage  is  fed  the  greater  portion  of  this  element  is  returned  to 
the  land  in  the  manure — differing  radically  from  phosphorous 
which  goes  to  the  grain  and  is,  therefore,  more  likely  to  be  sold. 

Organic  matter  and  nitrogen. — Compared  with  prairie  soils 
which  have  shown  a lasting  fertility,  these  soils  are  distinctly 
low  in  organic  matter  and  nitrogen.  In  fact,  most  upland  soils 
of  wooded  regions  are  low  in  organic  matter.  However,  the  vege- 
table matter  which  they  do  contain  when  first  cleared  and  broken 
is  of  an  active  character,  but  provision  should  be  made  for 
maintaining  and  increasing  this  material.  When  stock  raising 
is  practiced  manure  is  available  and  is  of  course  good  as  -far  as 
it  goes,  but  on  comparatively  few  farms  is  there  sufficient  ma- 
nure produced  to  maintain  the  organic  matter  in  soils  of  this 
character  and  other  means  should  be  used  to  supplement  the 
barnyard  manure.  Green  manuring  crops  should  be  used  as  far 
as  possible,  turning  under  the  vsecond  crop  of  clover  whenever 
this  can  be  done  rather  than  using  it  for  pasture.  Seeding 
clover  in  corn  at  the  last  cultivation  will  secure  good  growth 
when  the  season  is  favorable.  ■ Cultivated  ground  when  used  for 
pasture  should  not  be  grazed  closely. 

Nitrogen  is  perhaps  the  most  essential  element  of  plant  food 
and  large  amounts  are  used  by  all  crops.  It  exists  only  in  the 
organic  or  vegetable  matter  of  the  soil,  there  being  none  what- 
ever in  the  earthy  material  derived  from  the  rocks.  Soils 
which  are  low  in  organic  matter  are  therefore,  also  low  in  ni- 
trogen. By  all  means  the  cheapest  source  of  this  element  is 
through  the  growth  of  legumes  such  as  clover,  alfalfa,  soy  beans, 
etc.,  which  collect  it  from  the  atmosphere.  When  these  crops 
are  turned  under  they  contain  an  abundance  of  this  element. 


22 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY. 


When  fed  to  stock  a portion  only  is  returned  to  the  land.  But 
when  land  of  the  character  of  that  under,  discussion  is  used  for 
mixed  farming  so  that  at  least  one-fourth  produces  a good  crop 
of  clover  or  alfalfa  each  year  the  supply  of  nitrogen  can  be 
maintained  on  a dairy  or  stock  farm,  but  where  any  consider- 
able portion  of  the  land  is  in  crops  which  are  sold  entirely  one- 
third  or  more  would  have  to  be  in  some  legume  crop  to  main- 
tain the  nitrogen  supply; 

Acidity  and  liming. — Since  all  of  these  soils  were  formed 
from  rocks  not  containing  lime  carbonate  they  are  essentially 
all  acid.  The  degree  of  acidity  varies  from  one  which  would 
require  1,000  to  that  which  would  require  5,000  pounds  or  more 
lime  to  correct.  This  acidity  is  not  in  itself  a direct  detriment 
to  the  growth  of  most  farm  crops  but  is  an  indication  that  there 
is  not  enough  lime  present  for  crops  which  need  a good  deal  of 
that  element.  Clover  will  do  well  while  this  soil  is  new  even 
though  acid,  but  after  this  land  has  been  cropped  a number  of 
years  the  acidity  should  be  corrected  to  secure  the  best  results 
with  medium  red  or  mammoth  clover.  Alfalfa  is  very  sensi- 
tive to  acidity  and  lime  in  some  form  must  be  used  to  secure 
good  results  with  this  crop  even  on  new  land.  Other  crops  also 
are  benefited  by  lime. 

Crops. — The  Antigo  and  Kennan  soils  are  adapted  to  a wide 
range  of  crops  including  corn,  potatoes,  and  root  crops  as  well 
as  grasses  and  small  grains.  The  soils  of  these  types  are  well 
adapted  to  the  development  of  dairy  farming  on  account  of 
their  unusual  fitness  for  the  growing  of  hay  and  pasture. 

SUPERIOR  CLAY  LOAM 

Extent  and  distribution. — The  Superior  clay  loam  is  confined 
to  the  eastern  half  of  the  county  chiefly  to  the  south  eastern 
quarter  within  the  valley  of  the  Wolf  River.  The  most  impor- 
tant areas  are  found  in  the  vicinity  of  Fremont  and  Weyau- 
wega.  A few  small  tracts  are  found  near  Clintonville  and 
Northport  also,  and  others  are  scattered  about  through  the  east- 
ern part  of  the  area. 

Description. — The  surface  soil  of  this  type  to  an  average 
depth  of  6 to  8 inches  consists  of  a grayish-brown  to  light  choc- 
olate brown  clay  loam  or  frequentlya  silty  clay  loam.  The  sub- 
soil is  a heavy,  compact  pinkish-red  clay  which  extends  to  a 
depth  greater  than  three  feet,  though  below  30  inches  the  ma- 


GROUP  OF  HARVEY  SOILS. 


23 


terial  frequently  becomes  somewhat  lighter,  both  in  color  and 
texture.  Throughout  the  subsoil  thin  streaks  of  ashy  gray  fre- 
quently appear,  and  it  is  probable  that  these  mark  the  location 
of  former  cracks  into  which  surface  silty  material  has  been 
washed.  Upon  drying  large  cracks  are  formed  in  the  surface 
and  these  extend  to  a considerable  depth  into  the  subsoil.  These 
are  of  course  most  noticeable  in  uncultivated  fields.  Occasion- 
ally water  worn  gravel  and  a few  small  stones  are  found  upon 
the  surface  and  mixed  with  the  soil  but  these  are  always  of  very 
limited  number.  In  some  places  in  the  deep  subsoil  there  is 
found  a substratum  of  medium  to  fine  sand.  This  is  seldom 
more  than  a few  inches  thick  when  the  red  clay  is  again  en- 
countered. This  condition  is  found  chiefly  east  of  Fremont. 

Topography  and  drainage. — The  surface  of  the  Superior  clay 
loam  is  level  or  nearly  so,  and  because  of  the  heavy  character 
of  the  subsoil  the  natural  drainage  is  deficient.  Many  farmers 
have  laid  out  open  ditches  or  have  laid  out  the  fields  in  narrow 
lands  so  that  .the  dead  furrows  would  serve  as  surface  drains. 
Some  of  the  most  progressive  farmers  have  installed  tile  drains 
with  very  marked  success  and  it  is  only  a question  of  time  un- 
til practically  all  of  this  type  will  be  fully  tile  drained. 

Origin. — The  material  forming  this  soil  is  largely  of  lacus- 
trine origin,  but  since  its  first  deposition  by  quiet  waters  it  has 
been  more  or  less  influenced  by  the  action  of  glacial  ice.  Typi- 
cally the  Superior  soils  contain  considerable  carbonate  of  lime, 
and  varying  amounts  are  found  in  this  type,  especially  in  the 
subsoil.  The  surface  is  usually  not  acid,  though  in  some  cases 
a slight  acidity  has  developed. 

Native  Vegetation. — The  original  timber  growth  consisted  of 
hickory,  oak,  elm,  birch,  some  maple,  and  poplar.  By  far  the 
greater  part  of  the  timber  has  been  removed. 

Present  agricultural  development* — A considerable  propor- 
tion of  the  Superior  clay  loam  is  being  utilized  for  farming  pur- 
poses. The  best  drained  portions  are  devoted  to  cultivated 
crops,  and  the  less  well  drained  tracts  are  used  for  hay  and  pas- 
ture. When  thoroughly  drained  this  is  an  excellent  soil,  though 
some  what  difficult  to  handle  because  of  its  heavy  texture.  It 
is  devoted  to  general  farm  crops  consisting  of  ha}^  small  grains, 
corn  and  potatoes,  and  where  drained  good  yields  are  secured. 


* For  chemical  composition  and  improvement  of  this  soil  see  page  25. 


24 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY. 


Considerable  fall  plowing  is  done  and  in  general  up-to-date 
methods  of  cultivation  are  being  practiced. 

SUPERIOR  SILT  LOAM 

Extent  and  distribution. — This  type  is  of  limited  extent  and 
is  confined  to  a few  areas  in  the  eastern  half  of  the  county. 
The  more  important  tracts  are  found  east  of  Clintonville,  and 
north  and  northwest  from  Manawa. 

Description. — The  surface  soil  of  this  type  to  a depth  of  from 
6 to  8 inches  consists  of  light  brown  friable  silt  loam  which  con- 
tains only  a moderate  amount  of  organic  matter.  In  some  of 
the  lower  locations  the  surface  contains  more"  organic  matter 
than  the  average  and  here  the  color  is  somewhat  darker  than 
usual.  The  subsoil  consists  of  a light  reddish  to  pinkish  red 
heavy  compact  clay  loam  which  extend  to  a depth  of  over  3 feet. 
On  drying  large  cracks  are  formed  in  both  soil  and  subsoil,  es- 
pecially in  uncultivated  places,  and  a section  of  the  soil  shows 
light  colored  streaks  which  were  crevices  into  which  some  of  the 
surface  silt  was  washed.  This  soil  is  quite  uniform,  and  closely 
resembles  the  clay  loam  type.  The  chief  difference  being  the 
surface  soil  is  somewhat  more  silty  in  character. 

Topography  and  drainage. — The  surface  is  level  to  very  gen- 
tly undulating,  and  because  of  the  heavy  nature  of  the  subsoil 
the  natural  drainage  is  deficient.  Where  the  type  borders  the 
rolling  phase  of  Superior  soils  into  which  it  grades  very  grad- 
ually it  is  frequently  difficult  to  establish  a boundary  line,  since 
the  only  difference  between  is  in  topography. 

Origin. — In  origin  this  tj'pe  is  identical  with  the  Superior 
clay  loam,  having  been  deposited  in  quiet  waters,  probably  dur- 
ing interglacial  time  and  then  having  been  modified  to  a limited 
extent  by  glacial  action. 

Native  vegetation. — The  original  timber  consisted  of  hickory, 
elm,  oak  with  some  ash  and  willow  in  the  wettest  places. 

Present  agricultural  development  * — Most  of  this  soil  is 
cleared  and  being  used  for  some  agricultural  purpose.  Where 
drained  it  is  mostly  cultivated  and  excellent  crops  are  usually 
secured.  Where  not  drained  it  is  used  chiefly  for  hay  or  pas- 
ture for  which  it  is  very  well  suited.  When  properly  drained 
this  is  an  excellent  soil  and  well  adapted  to  general  fanning 


* For  chemical  composition  and  improvement  of  this  soil  see  page  25. 


GROUP  OF  HARVEY  SOILS. 


25 


and  dairying.  The  chief  crops  grown  are  small  grains,  corn 
and  hay. 

SUPERIOR  SILT  LOAM,  ROLLING  PHASE 

This  type  is  of  limited  extent  and  therefore  of  minor  impor- 
tance. The  largest  tracts  occur  southeast  and  southwest  from 
Marion  and  north  of  Kanawa. 

The  surface  soil  of  this  soil  to  a depth  of  about  8 inches  con- 
sists of  a brown  or  light  brown  silt  loam  which  contains  only 
a moderate  amount  of  organic  matter.  This  is  underlain  by 
a grayish  silt  loam  or  silty  clay  loam  which  at  14  to  16  inches 
is  underlain  by  the  typical  pinkish-red  heavy  clay  which  is 
characteristic  of  the  Superior  soils.  This  extends  to  a depth 
usually  much  greater  than  3 feet,  though  frequently  in  the 
lower  portion  of  the  3 foot  section  there  may  be  thin  layers  of 
fine  sand.  A lighter  color  may  also  mark  the  heavy  clay  at 
this  depth.  The  soil  as  a whole  is  quite  uniform.  The  amount 
of  stoniness  is  variable  however.  Some  areas  being  entirely 
stone  free,  while  some  have  quite  a number  of  bowlders  upon 
the  surface. 

The  surface  of  this  soil  is  gently  rolling  to  rolling  and  the  sur- 
face drainage  is  usually  good.  Along  some  of  the  lower  slopes 
where  the  type  adjoins  lower  lands  there  are  small  areas  de- 
ficient in  drainage. 

The  original  timber  was  the  same  as  on  the  loam  and  fine 
sandy  loam  types  of  this  series.  Most  of  the  merchantable  tim- 
ber has  been  removed  and  the  land  placed  under  cultivation. 
Most  of  the  land  is  well  improved,  and  it  is  an  excellent  soil. 
It  is  easier  to  work  than  a clay  loam  but  sufficiently  heavy  to 
retain  moisture  well  and  also  the  fertilizing  material  which  may 
be  applied  to  it.  The  same  crops  are  grown  as  on  the  loam  soil, 
the  same  methods  are  followed,  and  the  same  line  of  improve- 
ment will  apply. 

CHEMICAL  COMPOSITION  AND  FERTILITY  OF  SUPERIOR  CLAY  LOAM, 

SUPERIOR  SILT  1,0AM  AND  SUPERIOR  SILT  LOAM,  ROLLING  PHASE 

The  chemical  analyses  of  the  Superior  silt  loam  and  clay  loam 
soils  show  that  their  phosphorous  content  is  somewhat  lower 
than  the  average  of  other  silt  loams  and  clay  loams  in  the  State, 
while  the  potassium  content  is  considerably  larger.  Their  con- 


26 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY. 


tent  of  organic  matter  is  somewhat  below  the  average  of  soils 
of  this  texture.  In  regard  to  lime  they  vary  within  very  wide 
limits,  in  some  sections  being  acid,  while  in  others  they  contain 
as  high  as  10  to  12  per  cent  of  lime  carbonate. 

Phosphorus. — The  comparatively  small  total  amount  of  phos- 
phorus contained  in  these  soils  together  with  the  relatively  large 
amount  of  iron  oxide  renders  this  element  somewhat  unavail- 
able to  growing  crops  and  makes  it  important  that  farmers  oper- 
ating on  this  type  of  soil  see  to  it  that  the  available  supplies  of 
this  element  are  maintained  or  increased  either  through  the  use 
of  feeding  stuffs  high  in  this  element  or  the  purchase  of  suffi- 
cient phosphate  fertilizers.  Experiments  on  this  soil  at  Ash- 
land showed  a large  increase  through  the  use  of  phosphate  fer- 
tilizers in  addition  to  manure.  The  following  table  gives  the 
results  of  some  of  these  experiments. 


SHIS  Crop 

10  tons  manure  only 

10  tons  manure  and 
1000  lbs  roclc 
phosphate 

Per  cent  of  increase 

Potatoes 

87  bu.  per  A 

128  Ibu. 

47 

Rutabagas 

108  bu.  per  A 

137  bu. 

27 

Corn 

30.4  bu.  per  A j 

36.8  bu. 

21 

Clover  hay 

2223  pounds 

3177  pounds 

43 

Clover  seed 

217.5  pounds 

336.7  pounds 

47 

The  importance  of  having  sufficient  supplies  of  this  element 
is  made  still  greater  by  the  relatively  poor  drainage  which  the 
Superior  clay  loam  has  and  its  consequent  tendency  to  be  cold 
so  that  crops  are  slow  in  maturing.  The  element  phosphorus  is 
particularly  helpful  in  hastening  the  maturity  of  crops  and  the 
formation  of  seed. 

Potassium. — These  soils  average  over  50,000  pounds  of  this  ele- 
ment per  acre  to  a depth  of  8 inches.  This  potassium,  however, 
in  the  form  in  which  it  exists  in  the  soil  is  not  available  to  crops 
and  becomes  so  only  as  a result  of  chemical  changes  which  are 
chiefly  brought  about  through  the  action  of  organic  matter. 
When  a good  supply  of  active  organic  matter  is  maintained  the 
quantity  of  potassium  is  sufficient  to  supply  growing  crops  al- 
most indefinitely  and  it  is  only  in  the  case  of  fields  low  in  or- 
ganic matter  or  where  crops  using  unusually  large  amounts  of 


Wis.  Geol.  and  Natural  Hist.  Survey. 


Plate  II. 


AN  IMPLEMENT  FOR  LIFTING  AND  REMOVING  LARGE  BOULDERS. 

While  these  stones  are  undesirable,  and  interfere  with  the  cultivation 
of  the  land,  it  is  usually  true  that  where  they  occur  the  soil  itself  is  of 
good  quality. 


SHOWING  SURFACE  FEATURES  TYPICAL  OF  THE  SUPERIOR 
SERIES  OF  SOILS.. 


This  Superior  soil  has  a high  agricultural  value. 


GROUP  OF  HARVEY  SOILS. 


27 


available  potassium  are  grown  that  fertilizers  containing  this 
element  need  be  used. 

Nitrogen  and  organic  matter. — Nitrogen  exists  in  the  soil  al- 
most entirely  in  combination  with  organic  or  vegetable  matter. 
In  this  soil  the  vegetable  matter  is  relatively  low  and  should  be 
increased.  The  accumulation  of  organic  matter  high  in  nitro- 
gen is  most  readily  brought  about  through  the  growth  of  legumes 
such  as  clover,  alfalfa,  or  soy  beans.  These  may  either  be 
turned  under  as  green  manuring  crops  in  which  case  all  of  the 
nitrogen  collected  from  the  atmosphere  is  returned  to  the  soil 
and  made  available  to  succeeding  crops,  or  they  may  be  fed  to 
animals  and  the  manure  returned  to  the  soil  so  that  a portion  at 
least  of  the  nitrogen  gathered  from  the  atmosphere  is  returned 
to  the  land  to  add  to  the  supply  already  there.  Whatever  sys- 
tem of  farming  is  followed  on  this  type  of  soil  should  involve  a 
rotation  one  member  of  which  is  a legume. 

Lime  and  soil  acidity. — This  soil  was  originally  laid  down  in 
an  extension  of  Lake  Superior  as  a sediment  and  in  this  a con- 
siderable amount  of  lime  carbonate  was  deposited.  This  water- 
deposited  soil  was  then  worked  over  by  the  ice  during  the  gla- 
cial period.  Since  this  time  the  lime  has  been  dissolved  out  of 
portions  of  the  soil  to  a considerable  extent,  but  other  parts,  less 
pervious  to  the  water  or  containing  large  amounts  of  lime,  still 
retain  considerable  quantities  of  this  material.  As  a result  these 
soils  have  become  acid  in  patches,  but  as  a whole  are  not  acid 
and  the  subsoil  still  generally  contains  considerable  lime.  This 
is  particularly  favorable  to  the  growth  of  clover  and  alfalfa, 
but  where  sorrel  or  other  plants  show  the  development  of  acidity 
lime  should  be  used  especially  for  alfalfa. 

Drainage. — Where  the  surface  of  these  soils  is  level,  as  is  very 
frequently  the  case  the  question  of  drainage  is  one  of  impor- 
tance. Over  practically  all  level  areas  tile  drains  could  be  in- 
stalled to  advantage.  Thorough  drainage  will  make  these  soils 
warm  up  earlier  in  the  spring,  insure  better  tilth  and  increased 
yields. 


28 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER  III. 

GROUP  OP  LOAMS  AND  FINE  SANDY  LOAMS 

KENNAN  LOAM 

Extent  and  distribution. — The  Kennan  loam  is  one  of  the  ex- 
tensive and  important  soils  in  the  area.  It  is  confined  chiefly 
to  the  west  half  of  the  county,  and  the  most  extensive  areas  oc- 
cur in  the  northwestern  quarter  of  the  area.  Throughout  the 
region  north  of  Iola,  Northland  and  Big  Falls,  and  north  to 
the  county  line,  the  loam  is  the  predominating  soil. 

Description. — The  surface  soil  of  this  type  to  a depth  of  from 
10  to  12  inches  consists  of  a brown,  or  grayish-brown,  or  buff 
colored  loam  or  somewhat  gritty  silt  loam.  This  is  underlain 
by  a brown  compact  gravelly  sandy  loam  or  sandy  clay  which 
gradually  changes  at  from  24  to  30  inches  or  below  into  ma- 
terial of  a much  more  sandy  and  gravelly  nature.  The  gravelly 
material  is  frequently  so  plentiful  in  the  subsoil  that  boring  is 
impossible  in  the  lower  depths.  Typically  there  are  a moderate 
number  of  stones  and  bowlders  on  the  surface  and  through  the 
soil,  but  these  are  not  so  numerous  as  to  interfere  seriously  with 
cultivation.  There  are  marked  exceptions  to  this  rule,  however, 
and  in  some  cases  the  number  of  stones  and  bowlders  is  so  great 
as  to  interfere  seriously  with  cultural  operations.  In  such  cases 
their  presence  has  been  indicated  on  the  map  by  appropriate 
symbols.  From  many  fields  the  stones  have  been  removed  and 
some  stone  fences  are  seen  in  various  parts  of  the  area.  In 
places  there  is  a small  amount  of  gravel  on  the  surface  and  in 
the  upper  subsoil,  but  such  material  is  most  abundant  in  the 
lower  subsoil.  The  texture  of  the  Kennan  loam  is  somewhat 
variable  and  frequently  approaches  a fine  sandy  loam.  In  fact 
some  areas  of  fine  sandy  loam  have  been  included  where  they 
were  of  limited  extent  and  where  the  change  of  one  type  to  an- 
other was  very  gradual. 

Topography  and  drainage. — The  surface  of  the  Kennan  loam 
varies  from  undulating  to  rolling  and  somewhat  hilly.  Al- 


GROUP  OF  LOAMS  AND  FIND  SANDY  LOAMS. 


29 


though  this  type  occurs  on  some  of  the  largest  and  highest  ele- 
vations there  are  comparatively  few  steep  or  abrupt  slopes,  and 
by  far  the  greater  proportion  of  the  type  has  such  a topography 
as  to  permit  the  use  of  modern  farm  machinery.  Where  ex- 
tremely steep  slopes  have  been  found,  or  where  the  surface  was 
of  a very  rough  or  broken  character,  a rough  phase  has  been  in- 
dicated on  the  soil  map.  These  areas  are  frequently  very  stony 
as  well  as  rough.  The  soil  within  the  rough  phase  is  also  sub- 
ject to  greater  variation  than  typical,  ranging  from  a fine 
sandy  loam  to  a silt  loam.  Over  the  roughest  areas  some 
portions  have  been  quite  badly  eroded.  Because  of  the  uneven 
surface  features  of  the  type  as  a whole,  and  the  character  of 
the  subsoil,  the  natural  drainage  is  excellent.  The  type  con- 
tains a sufficient  amount  of  fine  material  so  that  it  retains  mois- 
ture well  and  does  not  suffer  from  drought  except  during  ex- 
tended dry  periods. 

Origin. — The  material  forming  the  Kennan  loam  has  been  de- 
rived through  glacial  action  largely  from  crystalline  rock  forma- 
tions. This  material  in  a number  of  cases  has  been  carried  by 
an  ice  sheet  over  regions  where  Potsdam  sandstone  is  the  un- 
derlying rock,  so  that  the  resulting  soil  consists  of  a mixture  of 
materials  from  these  two  sources.  However,  the  granitic  rock 
material  predominates  in  this  soil  in  practically  all  cases.  There 
is  no  limestone  material  present  in  the  portion  of  the  area  where 
this  type  occurs  and  both  soil  and  subsoil  show  varying  degrees 
of  acidity. 

Native  vegetation. — The  original  timber  growth  on  this  soil 
consisted  of  maple,  birch  and  oak,  with  varying  amounts  of  hem- 
lock, white  and  Norway  pine.  A considerable  part  of  the  type 
as  found  in  the  extreme  northwestern  part  of  the  county  is  still 
in  timber.  Where  the  original  timber  has  been  removed  there 
is  usually  a second  growth  in  which  poplar,  white  birch  and  hazel 
brush  are  plentiful. 

Present  agricultural  development  * — Probably  from  one-third 
to  one-half  of  this  type  has  been  cleared  and  placed  under  the 
plow.  Where  not  extremely  stony,  it  is  one  of  the  most  desir- 
able soils  in  the  wevst  part  of  the  county,  and  one  which  has  very 
good  agricultural  value.  It  is  devoted  chiefly  to  dairying  and 
general  farming,  with  potatoes  as  an  important  cash  crop.  The 


* For  chemical  composition  and  improvement  of  this  soil  see  page  ?>?>. 


30 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY. 


type  affords  excellent  grazing,  and  where  the  stones  are  most 
plentiful  the  land  can  be  used  to  best  advantage  for  this  pur- 
pose. Sheep  are  raised  to  some  extent,  although  it  would  seem 
that  this  industry  could  be  materially  extended.  Corn  is  raised 
principally  for  silage,  but  when  it  matures  the  yield  usually 
ranges  from  40  to  60  bushels  per  acre.  Oats  yields  range  from 
35  to  60  bushels  per  acre  with'some  yields  reported  much  higher 
than  this.  Barley  usually  yields  from  25  to  35  bushels,  and  rye 
from  15  to  20  bushels.  The  hay,  which  consists  chiefly  of  clover 
and  timothy,  yields  from  V/2  to  3 tons  per  acre.  Alfalfa  is 
grown  to  a limited  extent,  although  special  treatment  of  the  soil 
is  usually  necessary  in  getting  this  crop  started.  Potatoes  yield 
from  100  to  200  bushels  per  acre  and  are  the  most  important 
cash  crop  grown  on  the  type.  Wheat  is  grown  only  to  a lim- 
ited extent  but  gives  very  satisfactory  yields  on  this  soil.  Prob- 
ably the  most  common  rotation  followed  by  farmers  on  this  soil 
consists  of  small  grain,  seeded  to  clover  and  timothy, — hay  be- 
ing cut  for  two  years,  after  which  the  land  is  plowed  for  corn 
or  potatoes  and  then  again  followed  by  small  grain.  Stable  ma- 
nure is  the  only  fertilizer  used  to  any  extent  though  a small 
amount  of  green  manuring  is  practiced. 

KENNAN  FINE  SANDY  LOAM 

Extent  and  distribution. — The  Kennan  fine  sandy  loam  is  an 
important  type  though  not  fully  improved.  It  is  confined  al- 
most entirely  to  the  western  half  of  the  county,  and  chiefly  to 
the  northwestern  quarter  of  the  area  where  it  occurs  in  tracts 
of  from  10  or  20  acres  to  several  square  miles. 

Description. — The  surface  soil  of  this  type  to  an  average 
depth  of  8 inches  is  brown  or  slightly  grayish-brown,  mellow, 
fine  sandjr  loam.  This  material  becomes  somewhat  lighter  in 
color  with  depth  and  becomes  a yellowish -brown  at  a depth  of 
from  10  to  18  inches.  In  texture  the  subsoil  is  usually  a fine 
sandy  loam  containing  considerable  clay  which  in  places  be- 
comes a sandy  clay  loam.  The  heaviest  portion  of  the  subsoil 
usually  occurs  at  a depth  of  from  18  to  24  inches.  This  may 
sometimes  extend  to  a depth  of  30  inches,  hut  in  the  lower  depths 
the  material  usually  becomes  somewhat  more  sandy.  In  some 
areas  the  subsoil  through  its  entire  section  was  found  to  be 
somewhat  sandy,  but  was  not  sufficiently  light  to  he  classed  un- 
der another  type  name. 


GROUP  OF  LOAMS  AND  FINE  SANDY  LOAMS . 31 

A lighter  phase  of  this  soil  was  found  to  occur  4 or  5 miles 
south  of  Big  Falls  where  the  material  approaches  a loamy  fine 
sand  in  texture.  The  extent  here,  however,  was  too  limited  to 
justify  a separation.  The  type  as  a whole  is  somewhat  stony, 
though  as  typically  developed  these  stones  are  not  sufficiently 
plentiful  to  interfere  materially  with  agricultural  development. 
Where  the  stones  are  most  plentiful,  and  where  they  do  inter- 
fere with  the  cultural  operations  to  any  marked  degree,  their 
presence  has  been  indicatd  on  the  soil  map  by  appropriate  sym- 
bols. 

Topography  and  drainage.- — The  surface  of  this  soil  is  undu- 
lating to  rolling  with  a few  locations  which  could  be  classed  as 
hilly.  Modern  farm  machinery  can  be  used  on  practically  all 
of  the  type,  and  because  of  the  surface  features  and  the  sandy 
nature  of  the  soil  the  natural  drainage  is  good.  There  is  a suf- 
ficient amount  of  clay  in  the  subsoil  so  that  moisture  is  retained 
in  a very  satisfactory  manner,  and  the  type  does  not  suffer  from 
drought  except  during  periods  of  extended  dry  weather. 

Origin. — The  material  forming  the  Kennan  fine  sandy  loam 
has  been  derived  through  glacial  action  chiefly  from  crystalline 
rocks  though  the  underlying  rock  over  a portion  of  the  area 
where  this  type  occurs  is  Potsdam  sandstone.  Material  from 
both  of  these  formations  is  found  in  this  soil,  but  the  crystalline 
material  appears  to  predominate.  There  is  no  limestone  ma- 
terial in  this  region  and  both  soil  and  subsoil  are  found  to  be 
in  an  acid  condition. 

Native  vegetation. — The  original  timber  growth  consisted 
chiefly  of  hardwoods,  including  maple,  oak,  birch  and  some  elm. 
Varying  amounts  of  hemlock,  white  and  Norway  pine  were 
found  with  the  original  timber  growth.  Where  the  land  has 
been  cut-over  and  not  put  in  farms  the  present  growth  consists 
largely  of  poplar,  white  birch  and  hazel  brush. 

Present  agricultural  development  * — This  is  one  of  the  most 
desirable  soils  of  the  area,  although  because  of  its  irregular  oc- 
currence but  few  farms  are  made  up  entirely  of  it.  A consid- 
erable proportion  of  this  soil  is  under  cultivation  and  in  im- 
proved farms.  The  yields  which  are  secured  and  the  methods 
of  farming  followed  are  very  similar  to  those  of  the  Kennan 
loam.  In  fact,  the  type  as  a whole  is  very  closely  related  to 


* See  page  33  for  chemical  composition  and  improvement. 


32 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY . 


this  soil,  and  the  boundary  line  separating  them  is  frequently 
an  arbitrary  one. 


ANTIGO  LOAM 

This  soil  is  of  limited  extent.  It  is  found  chiefly  in  the  north- 
west quarter  of  the  county  northeast  and  west  of  Scandinavia, 
north  and  northwest  of  Iola,  and  north  of  Northland. 

The  surface  soil  of  this  type  to  an  average  depth  of  10-12 
inches  consists  of  a brown  or  grayish  brown  loam,  or  light  silt 
loam  of  a friable  structure.  This  is  underlain  by  a lighter  col- 
ored compact  loam  or  silt  loam  which  below  14-16  inches  be- 
comes quite  gritty,  and  at  about  24  inches  grades  abruptly  into 
gravel  or  sand,  or  a mixture  of  these  materials.  As  in  the  silt 
loam,  the  depth  to  the  underlying  coarse  material  is  variable. 
Frequently  some  gravel  may  occur  upon  the  surface  and  through 
the  soil  section.  A few  granitic  bowlders,  probably  deposited 
by  floating  ice,  are  also  found  in  places,  though  they  are  not 
numerous. 

The  surface  of  this  type  is  level  or  very  nearly  so,  and  the 
natural  drainage  is  good.  There  are  only  a few  small  sags  or 
potholes  where  the  drainage  is  deficient. 

This  soil  has  the  same  origin  as  the  silt  loam  and  consists 
largely  of  alluvial  materials  deposited  by  glacial  waters  as  out- 
wash  plains  or  as  stream  terraces.  The  parent  material  was 
chiefly  crystalline  rocks.  No  calcareous  material  has  entered 
into  the  formation  of  the  soil,  and  varying  degrees  of  acidity 
prevail. 

The  original  timber  growth  consisted  chiefly  of  maple,  birch, 
hemlock  with  some  white  and  Norway  pine. 

Although  of  limited  extent,  this  is  very  valuable  farming 
land,  and  is  highly  improved.  It  is  used  for  general  farming 
purposes,  and  is  well  adapted  to  all  general  farm  crops  com- 
mon to  the  region.1* 


ANTIGO  FINE  SANDY  LOAM 

This  soil  is  of  limited  extent.  One  tract  of  about  one  square 
mile  occurs  2-3  miles  north  of  Waupaca.  Another  is  found 
northeast  of  Big  Falls  along  the  Shawano  county  line.  A num- 
ber of  other  smaller  patches  are  widely  scattered  throughout  the 
county. 


* For  chemical  composition  and  improvement  of  this  soil  see  page  33. 


GROUP  OF  LOAMS  AND  FINE  SANDY  LOAMS.  33 

The  surface  of  this  soil  to  an  average  depth  of  8 inches  con- 
sists of  a grayish  brown  fine  sandy  loam  which  becomes  lighter 
in  color  with  depth.  At  14-16  inches  a yellowish-brown  color 
may  obtain  and  a small  percentage  of  clay  is  present.  In  places 
there  is  a gravel  deposit  at  about  30  inches  and  a moderate 
amount  of  gravel  may  be  distributed  through  the  soil  section. 
The  areas  found  in  the  eastern  half  of  the  county  are  usually 
free  from  gravel  but  are  underlain  by  fine  sand  instead. 

The  surface  of  this  type  is  level,  or  only  very  slightly  undu- 
lating and  the  natural  drainage  is  good. 

This  soil  consists  of  alluvial  material  deposited  as  outwash  or 
valley  fill.  The  parent  material  was  largely  crystalline  rocks, 
But  in  the  central  and  eastern  parts  of  the  county,  the  glacial 
debris  contains  considerable  sandstone  material  and  some  of  this 
has  also  entered  into  the  formation  of  the  Antigo  fine  sandy 
loam.  No  calcareous  rocks  have  contributed  to  this  soil,  how- 
ever, and  both  soil  and  subsoil  are  in  an  acid  condition. 

The  original  timber  consisted  of  maple,  birch,  hemlock,  and 
some  pine. 

Most  of  the  soil  is  cleared  and  is  under  cultivation,  but  be- 
cause of  its  being  found  only  in  small  tracts,  but  few  farms  are 
made  up  entirely  of  this  class  of  land.  It  is  mostly  well  im- 
proved and  gives  good  yields  of  all  the  general  farm  crops  com- 
mon to  the  region.  It  is  excellent  potato  land  and  would  also 
make  fine  soil  for  truck  crops,  but  its  location  regarding  mar- 
kets is  not  such  as  to  encourage  the  extensive  development  of 
this  line  of  farming. 

chemical  composition  and  fertility  of  loams  and  fine  sandy 

LOAMS 

These  soils  are  only  a little  more  open  in  texture  than  the  silt 
and  clay  loam  types.  They  have  a good  water-holding  capacity 
and  will  support  very  good  pasture,  but  the  somewhat  higher 
percentage  of  fine  sand  which  they  contain  reduces  the  water 
content  of  the  surface  somewhat  so  that  they  warm  up  more 
readily  in  the  spring  and  have  less  tendency  to  bake  and  crack 
than  the  heavier  soils.  These  qualities  make  them  better 
adapted  to  such  Crops  as  corn  and  potatoes  than  are  the  heavier 
soils. 

The  total  amount  of  the  plant  food  elements,  phosphorus  and 
potassium,  is  nearly  if  not  quite  as  large  in  the  Kennan  and 


3-W.  O. 


34 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY. 


Antigo  fine  sandy  loams  as  in  the  silt  loam.*  However,  they 
have  rather  less  organic  matter  and  this,  together  with  the 
somewhat  coarser  texture  results  in  a slower  rate  of  chemical 
change  by  which  the  inert  plant  food  of  the  soil  becomes  avail- 
able to  crops.  For  this  reason  the  increase  in  the  supply  of 
fresh  organic  matter  and  the  use  of  available  plant  food  either 
in  the  form  of  stable  manure  or  of  commercial  fertilizers  be- 
comes more  important  and  especially  when  crops  such  as  po- 
tatoes which  are  sold  from  the  farm,  and  of  which  heavy  yields 
must  be  grown  to  be  profitable,  are  produced. 

The  increase  in  the  supply  of  organic  matter  is  of  the  utmost 
importance.  A high  degree  of  fertility  cannot  be  maintained 
in  these  soils  unless  about  twice  as  large  an  amount  of  organic 
matter  is  developed  in  them  as  that  which  they  originally  have. 
The  plowing  under  of  legumes,  such  as  a second  crop  of  clover 
or  a crop  of  soybeans,  is  the  best  method  of  securing  this  re- 
sult. The  application  of  phosphorus  and  potassium  fertilizers 
can  best  be  made  for  these  crops,  since  it  secures  a much  larger 
growth  of  these  crops  themselves  and  becomes  available  through 
their  decomposition  to  the  following  crops  of  corn  or  potatoes. 

The  Kennan  and  Antigo  soils  were  derived  from  rocks  devoid 
of  lime  carbonates  and  therefore  have  a marked  tendency  to  be- 
come acid.  The  degree  of  acidity  is  usually  only  slight  in  the 
new  soil,  but  increases  as  the  land  is  cropped  from  year  to  year. 
This  acidity  does  not  affect  the  growth  of  most  crops  directly, 
but  makes  it  more  difficult  to  maintain  a good  degree  of  fertil- 
ity. This  is  true  because  it  is  in  a condition  unfavorable  to 
the  continued  growth  of  the  best  legumes — clover  and  alfalfa. 
The  slight  degree  of  acidity  does  not  interfere  with  the  growth 
of  clover  while  the  soil  is  comparatively  new,  but  does  reduce 
the  yields  as  the  fertility  is  reduced  by  further  cropping  and 
even  in  the  virgin  condition  acidity  interferes  with  the  growth 
of  alfalfa.  It  is  also  a condition  unfavorable  to  the  mainte- 
nance of  a good  supply  of  readily  available  phosphorus  in  the 
soil.  These  objections  are  probably  not  sufficient  to  make  nec- 
essary the  use  of  lime  to  correct  the  acidity  on  all  of  the  land 
under  cultivation  for  a number  of  years,  but  does  make  it  de- 
sirable that  farmers  wishing  to  grow  alfalfa  should  lime  as  well 
as  inoculate  the  soil  for  this  crop  and  also  to  watch  the  growth 
of  clover  carefully  from  year  to  year,  so  as  to  begin  the  use  of 


* See  page  20. 


GROTJP  OF  LOAMS  AND  FINE  SANDY  LOAMS. 


35 


lime  on  the  fields  as  they  are  sown  to  clover  as  soon  as  it  becomes 
difficult  to  secure  a good  stand. 

These  types  of  soils  are  well  adapted  to  general  farming  and 
some  special  crops  such  as  potatoes  can  also  be  grown  to  good 
advantage.  These  soils  of  intermediate  texture  are  better 
adapted  to  potato  culture  than  are  the  heavier  types  on,  the  one 
hand  or  the  light  sandy  soils  on  the  other. 

SUPERIOR  LOAM 

This  soil  is  of  limited  extent  and  is  confined  to  the  eastern 
half  of  the  county.  Some  of  the  type  is  found  in  the  vicinity 
of  Nicholson  and  other  small  tracts  near  Symco  and  New  Lon- 
don. 

The  surface  soil  of  this  type  to  an  average  depth  of  8 or  9 
inches  consists  of  a grayish-brown  mellow  loam  which  contains 
an  appreciable  amount  of  fine  and  very  fine  sand.  This  is  un- 
derlain by  a compact  pinkish-red  clay  or  clay  loam  which  con- 
tinues to  a depth  greater  than  3 feet.  Usually  the  color  be- 
comes deeper  red,  and  the  structure  somewhat  more  plastic  with 
depth.  In  places  there  is  a small  amount  of  gravel  on  the  sur- 
face and  mixed  with  the  soil,  but  as  a Avhole  the  type  is  quite 
uniform.  The  surface  is  level  to  undulating  and  the  natural 
drainage  is  in  most  cases  fair  to  good.  Only  in  the  lowest 
places  is  it  deficient.  It  is  better  than  on  the  clay  loam  and 
silt  loam  types. 

The  loam  has  the  same  origin  as  the  clay  loam  and  silt  loam 
types,  having  been  deposited  in  quiet  waters  and  later  modified 
to  a limited  extent  by  glacial  action. 

The  original  timber  growth  consisted  chiefly  of  oaks,  hickory, 

and  some  elm. 

Most  of  this  type  is  cleared,  under  cultivation,  and  in  a high 
stage  of  development.  It  is  an  excellent  soil,  well  suited  to  the 
general  farm  crops  commonly  grown  in  the  region.  Small 
grains,  corn  and  hay  are  the  chief  crops.  Potatoes  are  also 
grown,  but  usually  only  for  home  use.  It  is  easier  to  cultivate 
than  the  clay  loam,  and  altogether  is  a somewhat  more  desir- 
able soil.  Stable  manure  is  practically  the  only  fertilizer  used 
at  present,  though  commercial  fertilizers  are  being  considered, 
and  experience  has  shown  that  properly  used  they  are  profi- 


36 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY . 


table.  The  soil  responds  especially  well  to  a phosphate  fertil- 
izer.* 


SUPERIOR  LOAM,  ROLLING  PHASE 

Extent  and  distribution. — The  Superior  loam  rolling  phase  is 
generally  associated  with  other  soils  of  this  series.  It  is  con- 
lined  to  the  eastern  half  of  the  county  where  it  is  an  important 
soil.  It  is  most  extensive  in  the  southeastern  quarter  of  the 
county  and  there  are  also  numerous  areas  southwest  of  Marion 
and  east  of  Symco. 

Description. — The  surface  of  this  phase  to  an  average  depth 
of  8 to  10  inches  consists  of  a dark  brown  or  grayish  brown 
loam  which  is  usually  somewhat  gritty.  This  material  usually 
becomes  somewhat  lighter  in  color  and  more  compact  in  the 
lower  surface  section  and  remains  quite  loamy  to  a depth  of  14 
to  16  inches.  While  these  depths  represent  the  average,  there 
is  some  variation  in  this  respect  and  the  loamy  material  in 
places  extends  to  nearly  two  feet.  The  change  to  the  subsoil 
is  usually  quite  abrupt  and  the  heavy  pinkish-red  clay  is  gen- 
erally found  at  14  to  16  inches  below  the  surface.  This  heavy, 
compact  red  clay  extends  to  a depth  of  more  than  3 feet,  often 
times  many  feet — though  in,  the  lower  portion  of  the  3 foot  sec- 
tion it  sometimes  becomes  lighter  in  color,  and  may  contain  a 
few  thin  layers  of  sandy  material.  In  numerous  places  granitic 
stones  and  bowlders  were  originally  found  upon  the  surface, 
but  in  many  fields  these  have  been  entirely  removed.  Places 
were  seen,  however,  where  the  bowlders  were  still  present  and 
where  they  were  sufficiently  numerous  to  interfere  with  culti- 
vation. Gravel  and  some  small  rock  fragments  are  frequently 
present  in  the  soil  and  subsoil.  The  gravel  and  stones  are  most 
plentiful  along  the  most  westerly  occurrences  of  the  type,  where 
it  borders  the  soils  of  the  Kennan  series.  In  many  places  ex- 
tensive areas  are  almost  entirely  stone  free.  As  a whole  the 
material  forming  this  soil  is  quite  uniform,  the  chief  variation 
being  in  the  stoniness.  There  is  an  exception  to  this,  however, 
in  Sec.  13  and  14  Town  of  Caledonia  where  the  subsoil  is  not 
red,  but  of  a yellowish-brown  color.  Here  the  material  also 
rests  upon  limestone  rock  which  occurs  within  the  three  foot 
section  in  places.  This  phase  is  really  Miami  loam,  but  be- 
cause of  its  limited  extent  it  was  included  with  the  Superior. 


* For  chemical  composition  and  improvement  of  this  soil  see  page  43. 


GROUP  OF  LOAMS  AND  FINE  SANDY  LOAMS. 


37 


Topography  and  drainage. — The  surface  of  the  loam  soil 
ranges  from  gently  rolling  to  rolling,  with  a few  areas  which 
could  be  classed  only  as  undulating.  Because  of  the  usual  sur* 
face  features  the  natural  surface  drainage  is  generally  well  estab- 
lished. In  some  of  the  lower  places  it  sags,  and  the  draws  be- 
tween hills  the  drainage  is  sometimes  deficient,  but  such  areas 
are  usually  of  small  extent.  Where  the  type  borders  the  level 
phase  of  Superior  soils  or  those  of  *the  Poygan  or  Whitman 
series  there  is  frequently  a narrow  strip  which  would  be  im- 
proved by  tile  drains.  There  is  seldom  danger  of  serious  ero- 
sion but  on  unprotected  fields  the  surface  soil  washes  to  some 
extent  during  heavy  rains. 

Origin. — The  subsoil  of  the  Superior  loam  has  the  same  origin 
as  the  Superior  clay,  having  been  laid  down  as  a lacustrine  de- 
posit and  later  influenced  by  glacial  action.  The  surface  soil 
may  fie  in  part  of  the  same  origin,  but  a considerable  propor- 
tion of  the  surface  soil  doubtless  came  from  crystalline  rock  ma- 
terial. Some  of  it,  and  especially  the  more  sandy  phases,  prob- 
ably came  from  sandstone  rock.  In  a few  places  the  surface 
soil  shows  slight  acidity,  but  the  subsoil  is  not  acid  and  usually 
contains  a considerable  amount  of  lime  carbonate. 

Native  vegetation. — The  native  timber  growth  on  this  soil 
consisted  chiefly  of  maple,  oak,  ash,  hickory,  walnut,  and  some 
pine.  While  by  far  the  greater  proportion  of  the  merchant- 
able timber  has  been  removed  there  are  still  many  farm  wood 
lots  containing  the  original  timber. 

Present  agricultural  development  * — A large  proportion  of 
the  type  is  cleared  and  under  cultivation  and  it  is  one  of  the 
best  soils  for  general  agriculture  within  the  county.  All  of  the 
crops  common  to  the  region  are  grown  successfully  upon  it  but 
the  chief  type  of  farming  is  general  farming  with  dairying  as 
the  chief  branch.  Small  grains,  corn  and  hay  are  grown  most 
extensively.  While  most  of  the  hay  is  clover  and  timothy,  al- 
falfa is  coming  to  be  an  important  crop  and  is  being  grown 
with  success  on  many  farms.  Potatoes  are  grown  for  home  use 
on  all  farms  and  on  a number  commercially.  The  most  com- 
mon crop  rotation  consists  of  small  grain,  hay,  corn,  to  which 
may  be  added  a year  of  pasture  after  one  or  two  years  of  hay, 
making  a four  or  five  year  rotation.  Stable  manure  is  the  chief 


* For  chemical  composition  and  improvement  of  this  soil  see  page  43. 


38 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY. 


fertilizer  used  though,  commercial  fertilizers  are  now  being  tried 
by  some  farmers  with  marked  success. 

SUPERIOR  FINE  SANDY  LOAM 

Extent  and  distribution. — This  soil  is  found  in  scattered  areas 
in  the  eastern  half  of  the  county  associated  with  other  types  of 
the  Superior  series.  Of  the  larger  developments  may  be  men- 
tioned the  one  north  from  Bear  Creek,  and  those  between  Clin- 
tonville  and  Embarrass.  The  total  extent  of  the  type  is  com- 
paratively small. 

Description. — The  surface  soil  of  this  type  to  a depth  of  10 
inches  consists  of  a grayish  brown  fine  to  very  fine  sandy  loam, 
containing  a moderate  amount  of  organic  matter.  In  low  places 
the  surface  is  darker  than  typical  owing  to  a greater  accumula- 
tion of  vegetable  matter.  The  subsoil  consists  of  a pinkish-red 
clay  loam  which  may  extend  without  change  to  over  3 feet, 
though  frequently  fine  sand  is  encountered  at  about  30  inches. 
In  the  lower  depths  the  color  is  also  lighter.  The  depth  of  the 
surface  soil  over  the  clay  is  variable  and  may  range  from  6 
inches  to  16  or  18  inches. 

Topography  and  drainage. — The  surface  of  the  Superior  fine 
sandy  loam  is  level  to  undulating  and  except  in  the  lowest 
places  the  natural  drainage  is  fair  to  good.  In  the  depressions 
or  level  tracts  it  is  sometimes  deficient. 

Origin. — The  subsoil  of  this  type  has  the  same  origin  as  the 
remainder  of  the  Superior  types,  but  the  surface  has  doubtless 
been  influenced  to  a greater  extent  by  glacial  action  than  has 
the  heavy  clay  subsoil. 

Native  vegetation. — The  original  timber  consisted  chiefly  of 
maple,  elm,  oaks,  birch  and  some  poplar,  with  now  and  then  a 
white  pine. 

Present  agricultural  development* — The  greater  part  of  this 
type  has  been  brought  under  cultivation.  The  lowest  and  more 
poorly  drained  portions  are  devoted  chiefly  to  hay  and  pasture, 
but  on  the  remainder  of  the  type  good  yields  of  the  general 
farm  crops  are  secured.  The  soil  is  not  difficult  to  cultivate 
and  a good  mellow  seed  bed  can  be  readily  secured.  Corn, 
small  grain,  hay  and  potatoes  are  the  most  important  crops. 
This  type  is  much  better  adapted  to  potato  growing  than  the 


GROUP  OF  LOAMS  AND  FINE  SANDY  LOAMS. 


39 


heavier  soils  of  this  series.  Alfalfa  is  grown  in  some  localities 
with  good  success. 

SUPERIOR  FINE  SANDY  LOAM,  ROLLING  PHASE 

Extent  and  distribution—  This  soil  is  confined  almost  entirely 
to  the  eastern  half  of  the  county  where  it  occurs  in  numerous 
tracts  of  from  less  than  one  mile  to  3 to  5 square  miles  in  ex- 
tent. Its  continuity  is  broken  by  other  soils  of  this  series  and 
also  by  tracts  of  peat  and  soils  of  the  Antigo  series.. 

Description. — The  surface  soil  of  this  phase  to  a depth  of 
about  10  inches  consists  of  a grayish-brown  fine  sandy  loam. 
In  a few  places  the  material  approaches  a fine  sand  in  texture. 
The  lower  portion  of  the  soil  section  becomes  somewhat  lighter 
in  color,  due  to  the  smaller  amount  of  organic  matter  present. 
The  subsoil  usually  begins  quite  abruptly  and  consists  of  a pink- 
ish-red compact  clay  or  clay  loam.  This  usually  extends  to  a 
depth  much  greater  than  3 feet,  though  in  the  lower  portion  of 
the  3 foot  section  it  is  quite  common  to  find  thin  layers  of  fine 
sand.  The  color  of  the  clay  is  often  lighter  at  this  depth.  A 
small  amount  of  gravel  sometimes  occurs  upon  the  surface  and 
small  rock  fragments  may  be  found  through  the  soil  section. 
Granitic  bowlders  are  also  quite  plentiful  upon  the  surface,  and 
in  places  are  sufficiently  numerous  to  interfere  with  cultural 
operations.  In  many  fields  these  have  been  removed  and  placed 
in  piles  along  the  fence  rows.  Much  of  the  type  is  practically 
stone  Iree.  The  depth  to  clay  is  variable  but  seldom  exceeds 
two  feet. 

Topography  and  drainage. — The  surface  of  this  soil  ranges 
from  gently  sloping  to  gently  rolling  and  in  some  cases  rolling. 
Because  of  the  uneven  surface  features  the  natural  drainage  is 
well  established.  In  no  place  is  the  type  too  broken  to  permit 
the  growth  of  cultivated  crops.  Erosion  is  not  a serious  prob- 
lem, though  on  the  more  rolling  areas  there  is  some  danger  of 
washing  when  the  fields  are  bare,  especially  during  the  heavy 
rains  of  spring,  when  the  ground  is  saturated  with  water. 

Origin. — In  origin  the  subsoil  has  the  same  source  as  other 
Superior  soils,  having  been  first  laid  down  as  a lacustrine  de- 
posit probably  during  interglacial  times  and  later  influenced  to 
a greater  or  less  extent  by  glacial  action.  The  surface  sandy 


For  chemical  composition  and  improvement  of  this  soil  see  page  43. 


40 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY. 


material  probably  comes  largely  from  crystalline  and  sandstone 
glacial  debris.  Most  of  tbe  gravel,  stones  and  bowlders  associ- 
ated with  this  soil  are  largely  of  crystalline  rock  origin.  The 
surface  soil  is  frequently  slightly  acid,  but  the  red  clay  subsoil 
is  not  acid  and  usually  contains  considerable  carbonate  of  lime. 

Native  vegetation. — The  original  timber  growth  on  the  soil 
consisted  of  maple,  oak,  elm,  hickory,  some  walnut  and  varying 
amounts  of  pine.  Most  of  the  merchantable  timber  has  been 
removed,  though  there  are  numerous  farm  wood  lots  in  which 
there  is  still  valuable  timber.  No  extensive  tracts  of  native  for- 
est,. however,  are  found  on  this  soil  at  present. 

Present  agricultural  development .*• — By  far  the  greater  pro- 
portion of  this  soil  is  cleared,  under  cultivation,  and  highly  im- 
proved. It  is  devoted  chiefly  to  general  farming  and  dairying, 
and  practically  all  of  the  crops  common  to  the  region  are  grown 
upon  it.  It  is  an  excellent  general  farming  soil,  and  some  of 
the  most  highly  improved  farms  of  the  region  are  found  upon 
it.  The  surface  soil  is  sufficiently  sandy  to  make  cultivation 
easy,  while  the  subsoil  is  heavy  so  that  moisture,  and  fertility 
is  retained.  The  surface  is  uneven  enough  to  insure  good  drain- 
age, but  never  too  steep  to  permit  the  use  of  modern  farm  ma- 
chinry.  It  occurs  in  good  sized  tracts  so  that  many  farms  are 
located  entirely  upon  this  one  soil  type.  The  crops  grown  are 
corn,  oats,  barley,  rye,  wheat,  clover,  timothy,  alfalfa,  potatoes, 
and  other  root  crops.  In  addition  some  truck  crops  are  also 
grown,  but  the  trucking  industry  has  not  been  developed  on  a 
commercial  scale  in  any  part  of  the  county,  although  this  soil  is 
well  suited  to  the  growing  of  trucking  crops. 

The  general  methods  of  farming  followed  are  usually  such  as 
tend  to  gradually  improve  the  soil,  but  there  is  still  consider- 
able room  for  improvement  along  these  lines.  The  rotation 
most  commonly  followed  consists  of  corn,  small  grain,  and  hay. 
The  field  usually  being  left  in  hay  for  two  years,  and  possibly 
pastured  for  a year  in  addition,  making  a four  or  five  year  ro- 
tation. Stable  manure  is  the  chief  fertilizer  used,  though  a 
number  of  farmers  have  started  the  use  of  commercial  fertili- 
zers with  very  good  results.  The  supply  of  stable  manure  is 
seldom  sufficient  to  meet  the  needs  of  the  soil,  and  the  use  of 
commercial  fertilizers  to  supplement  this  supply  is  advisable. 


* See  page  43  for  chemical  composition  and  improvement. 


GROUP  OF  LOAMS  AND  FINE  SANDY  LOAMS. 


41 


SUPERIOR  SANDY  LOAM 

This  soil  is  of  rather  limited  extent,  covering  a total  area  of 
of  about  4 square  miles.  It  is-confined  chiefly  to  the  southeast- 
ern portion  of  the  area  south  and  southeast  from  Fremont. 
Some  of  this  soil  is  also  found  north  of  Weyauwega,  and  a few 
scattered  areas  occur  farther  north  in  the  interior  of  the  county. 
The  type  is  usually  associated  with  areas  of  Superior  clay  loam. 

The  surface  soil  of  this  type  to  a depth  of  10  to  12  inches  con- 
sists of  a brown  or  grayish  brown  loamy  sand  to  light  sandy 
loam.  Below  this  there  is  usually  a few  inches  of  light  brown 
or  yellowish  loamy  sand  which  is  underlain  at  about  18  inches 
by  a dense,  compact  pinkish  red  clay,  which  extends  to  36  inches 
or  more.  In  some  places  there  is  a substratum  of  yellowish 
sand,  usually  water  saturated,  at  about  30  inches.  The  depth 
of  the  sandy  material  over  the  clay  subsoil  is  quite  variable  but 
the  heavy  subsoil  is  always  found  at  2 feet  or  less. 

The  surface  is  level  or  gently  undulating,  and  except  for  a 
few  sags  the  drainage  is  fair  to  good. 

The  original  timber  consisted  of  oaks,  maple,  birch,  some  elm 
and  in  the  wettest  places  a few  willows.  Some  pine  also  grew 
on  this  soil. 

This  is  a valuable  soil  for  general  farming,  and  most  of  the 
crops  common  to  the  region  are  successfully  grown  upon  it. 
Where  drainage  is  thorough  it  is  a first  class  potato  soil.  It  is 
easy  to  cultivate,  and  retains  moisture  well.  Where  shipping 
facilities  are  convenient  this  soil  could  well  be  utilized  for  more 
intensive  farming  operations,  since  its  light  surface  texture 
places  it  in  the  class  of  trucking  soils. 

SUPERIOR  SANDY  LOAM,  ROLLING  PHASE 

Extent  and  distribution. — This  soil  is  of  limited  extent  and  is 
confined  chiefly  to  the  southern  and  southeastern  portions  of 
the  county  where  it  is  associated  with  other  types  of  the  Su- 
perior series.  It  is  frequently  found  adjacent  to  Antigo  soils. 
Of  the  more  important  tracts  may  be  mentioned  that  just  south 
of  Weyauwega  and  that  in  the  vicinity  of  Readfield.  A few 
smaller  tracts  are  found  in  the  interior  of  the  county. 


42 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY. 


Description. — The  surface  soil  of  this  phase  to  an  average 
depth  of  10  inches  consists  of  a rather  loose,  brown  sandy  loam, 
which  in  places  becomes  as  light  as  a loamy  sand.  This  is  usu- 
ally underlain  by  a lighter  colored  sand  or  loamy  sand  for  sev- 
eral inches  and  this  in  turn  grades  quite  abruptly  into  the 
heavy  red  or  pinkish  red  clay  characteristic  of  the  Superior 
series.  A small  amount  of  gravel  may  be  found  on  the  surface 
and  in  some  localities  granitic  bowlders  occur,  though  seldom  in 
sufficient  numbers  to  interfere  with  farming  operations.  The 
depth  of  sandy  material  over  the  clay  is  somewhat  variable,  but 
is  seldom  over  2 feet  deep.  The  amount  of  organic  matter  in 
the  surface  soil  is  rather  low,  except  in  some  of  the  lower  places 
where  a more  moist  condition  has  favored  the  development  of 
more  natural  vegetation. 

Topography  and  drainage. — The  surface  soil  varies  from  gen- 
tly rolling  to  rolling,  and  in  a few  places  it  is  rather  hilly.  Be- 
cause of  the  eneven  surface  the  natural  drainage  is  good. 

Origin. — The  subsoil  of  this  type  is  lacustrine  in  origin  and 
since  its  finest  deposition  has  been  influenced  by  glacial  action. 
The  surface  material  is  doubtless  largely  of  glacial  origin  in  part 
from  sandstone  rocks  and  in  part  from  crystalline  rocks.  The 
surface  soil  is  usually  slightly  acid,  but  the  subsoil  is  not  acid 
and  usually  contains  considerable  lime  carbonate. 

Native  vegetation. — The  original  timber  consisted  chiefly  of 
oaks,  maple,  hickory  with  some  pine  in  places. 

Present  agricultural  development  * — Approximately  half  of 
the  type  is  being  cultivated  at  present,  the  remainder  being  in 
second  growth  timber  or  in  pasture.  This  is  a good  soil  and 
while  devoted  chiefly  to  general  farming  it  is  doubtless  better 
adapted  to  trucking  crops  and  a more  intensive  system  of  farm- 
ing. All  crops  common  to  the  region  are  grown,  and  corn,  for 
example  usually  does  better  than  on  the  heavier  types  because 
it  gets  an  earlier  start  in  the  spring.  The  soil  is  easy  to  culti- 
vate and  responds  readily  to  soil  improvements.  While  stable 
manure  is  about  the  only  fertilizer  now  used,  commercial  fertil- 
izers can  be  used  with  profit,  and  farmers  should  look  into  the 
merits  of  such  fertilizers. 


* See  page  43  for  chemical  composition  and  improvement. 


GROUP  OF  LOAMS  AND  FINE  SANDY  LOAMS. 


43 


CHEMICAL  COMPOSITION  AND  IMPROVEMENT  OF  SUPERIOR  LOAM, 
FINE  SANDY  LOAM,  AND  SANDY  LOAM 

These  soils  are  more  open  in  texture  than  the  group  of  heavy 
soils.  They  have  a water  holding  capacity  which  is  sufficient 
to  insure  good  pasture,  where  the  land  is  in  grasses.  Because 
of  the  more  rolling  surface,  and  the  higher  content  of  fine  sand 
in  the  surface  soil,  the  natural  drainage  is  better  than  on  the 
heavy  level  lands  and  the  soil'  thus  warms  up  earlier  in  the  spring 
and  does  not  have  the  tendency  to  ibake  and  crack  which  is  char- 
acteristic of  some  of  the  heavier  soils.  These  qualities  make 
these  types  better  adapted  to  such  crops  as  corn  and  potatoes, 
and  also  to  the  growing  of  fruit. 

The  total  amount  of  the  plant  food  elements  phosphorus  and 
potassium  is  nearly  but  not  quite  as  large  in  the-  loams  and  fine 
sandy  loams,  as  in  the  group  of  heavy  soils  previously  described. 
The  amount  of  organic  matter  is  somewhat  smaller,  as  is  also 
the  supply  of  nitrogen.  Because  of  this  and  the  coarser  texture 
the  rate  of  chemical  change  may  not  always  be  as  rapid  as  in 
the  heavier  soils.  For  this  reason  the  increase  in  the  supply  of 
active  or  fresh  organic  matter  and  the  use  of  available  plant  food 
either  in  the  form  of  stable  manure  or  commercial  fertilizer  be- 
comes more  important,  especially  when  crops  are  grown  which 
are  sold  from  the  farm. 

An  increase  of  the  supply  of  organic  matter  in  these  soils  is 
of  great  importance.  It  is  desirable  to  have  nearly  twice  as 
much  organic  matter  in  the  soil  as  these  types  now  contain.  The 
plowing  under  of  legumes,  such  as  the  second  crop  of  clover,  or 
a crop  of  soy  beans  is  a good  way  of  securing  this  result.  The 
supply  of  stable  maure  is  usually  too  limited  to  meet  the  needs 
of  the  entire  farm. 

As  in  the  group  of  heavy  soils  in  this  county,  and  as  is  quite 
common  in  most  of  the  state  the  phosphorus  content  of  these  soils 
is  below  normal,  and  should  be  increased.  Even  the  use  of 
stable  manure  will  not  itself  supply  the  amount  of  phosphorus 
needed,  and  it  is  a good  plan  to  supplement  the  use  of  stable  ma- 
nure with  a phosphate  fertilizer.  Acid  phosphate  is  the  most 
quickly  available  and  under  present  conditions  is  doubtless  the 
most  profitable  form  to  use.  This  may  be  applied  with  small 
grain  which  is  seeded  to  clover  and  about  250  to  300  pounds  per 
acre  should  be  used.  When  used  with  corn  it  may  be  drilled  in 


44 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY. 


the  row  with  a fertilizer  attachment  to  a corn  planter  or  drilled 
in  with  a regular  lime  and  fertilizer  sower  just  before  the  corn 
is  planted. 

Where  general  farming  is  followed  and  it  is  desired  to  build 
up  the  organic  matter  supply  the  following  rotation  is  a good 
one  to  use: — Corn  or  a cultivated  crop  one  year,  followed  by 
a small  grain  with  which  clover  is  seeded,  the  first  crop  the  fol- 
lowing year  cut  for  hay,  and  the  second  plowed  down  as  a green 
manuring  crop  to  be  again  used  for  a cultivated  crop.  When 
commercial  fertilizer  is  used  it  may  be  applied  with  the  small 
grain  or  to  the  corn  crop.  Where  a second  crop  of  clover  is 
not  turned  down  it  should  be  fed  and  the  manure  returned  to 
the  field  in  as  liberal  amounts  as  can  be  secured. 

The  growing  of  alfalfa  should  be  greatly  extended  on  these 
soils  and  every  farmer  should  consider  the  question  of  starting 
a small  acreage. 


GROUP  OF  SANDY  LOAMS  AND  FINE  SANDS . 


45 


CHAPTER  IV. 

GROUP  OF  BANDY  LOAMS  AND  FINE  SANDS 

PLAINFIELD  FINE  SAND 

The  type  is  of  limited  extent  and  is  confined  chiefly  to  the 
eastern  half  of  the  county  where  it  is  often  associated  with  Co- 
loma  fine  sand. 

The  surface  soil  of  this  type  to  a depth  of  6 to  8 inches  con- 
sists of  a brown  or  yellowish  brown  fine  sand  underlain  by  a 
yellow  fine  sand  to  a depth  of  over  3 feet.  Quite  a few  gravel 
stones  are  sometimes  found.  The  type  is  usually  free  from 
gravel  as  well  as  stones.  Some  deep  well  borings  show  red  clay 
and  it  is  possible  that  most  of  the  type  may  be  underlain  by 
such  material. 

The  surface  is  level  or  very  gently  undulating  and  where  the 
watertable  is  not  close  to  the  surface,  the  natural  drainage  is 
excessive. 

The  Plainfield  fine  sand  is  of  alluvial  origin  and  has  been  de- 
posited as  outwash  plains  or  valley  fill.  A large  proportion  of  it 
came  from  glaciated  sandstone  material  though  there  is  some 
crystalline  material  also  mixed  in. 

The  native  timber  growth  consisted  chiefly  of  oak  and  white 
pine  with  some  poplar. 

A large  proportion  of  this  type  is  being  cultivated,  but  be- 
cause of  its  limited  extent  and  low  agricultural  value,  it  can  be 
classed  with  the  soils  of  minor  importance. 

General  farm  crops  are  grown  and  cucumbers  and  buckwheat 
are  also  raised  to  some  extent.  Dairying  is  the  leading  indus- 
try. i 

As  with  the  other  Plainfield  sandy  types,  the  soil  is  deficient 
in  organic  matter  and  mineral  plant  foods.  These  must  be  sup- 
plied if  marked  increased  yields  are  to  be  secured.* 


* See  page  50  for  chemical  composition. 


46 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY. 


PLAINFIELD  SANDY  LOAM 

The  largest  continuous  area  of  this  type  of  several  square 
miles  is  found  west  of  Waupaca.  Other  smaller  tracts  occur  in 
various  parts  of  the  county,  though  chiefly  in  the  western  half 
associated  with  the  soils  of  the  K'ennan  series.  The  small 
patches  which  occur  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  county  contain 
less  gravel  than  the  western  areas. 

The  surface  of  this  type  to  an  average  depth  of  8 to  10  inches 
consists  of  a brown  or  slightly  dark  brown  sandy  loam  of  me- 
dium texture.  This  is  underlain  by  a yellowish  brown  sandy 
loam  or  a yellowish  loamy  sand  which  at  from  18  to  24  inches 
contains  a sufficient  amount  of  clay  to  make  the  material  some- 
what sticky  when  wet.  Gravel  stones  are  often  sufficiently  nu- 
numerous  in  the  subsoil  to  make  boring  difficult.  Gravel  is  also 
found  in  places  on  the  surface,  and  bordering  some  of  the  areas 
bowlders  are  quite  plentiful. 

The  surface  of  this  type  is  level  or  nearly  so,  and  because  of 
the  coarse  material  present,  the  natural  drainage  is  frequently 
excessive;  though  the  type  is  not  as  subject  to  drought  as  is  the 
plainfield  sand.  The  small  amount  of  clay  in  the  subsoil  greatly 
assists  in  retaining  moisture. 

The  Plainfield  sandy  loam  has  the  same  origin  as  the  other 
soils  of  the  Plainfield  series,  consisting  of  alluvial  material  de- 
posited as  outwash  plains  and  valley  fill  by  glacial  waters.  The 
parent  material  was  both  crystalline  rock  and  sandstone  drift 
and  the  soil  is  a mixture  from  these  two  sources.  No  calcareous 
material  is  present  and  both  soil  and  subsoil  are  acid. 

The  original  timber  was  chiefly  oaks  and  white  pine.  All 
merchantable  timber  has  been  cut. 

Probably  about  75%  of  this  soil  has  been  improved.  All  the 
general  farm  crops  common  to  the  region  are  grown  in  connec- 
tion with  dairying  farming.  Rye  does  well  on  this  soil,  but 
other  small  grains  do  not  yield  as  well  as  on  the  heavier  types. 
Corn  and  potatoes  yield  better  than  on  the  sand,  and  clover  can 
be  raised  with  less  difficulty.  Some  alfalfa  is  being  grown,  but 
liming  is  necessary  to  secure  and  maintain  a good  stand.* 

* See  page  50  for  chemical  composition  and  improvement. 


GROUP  OF  SANDY  LOAMS  AND  FINE  SANDS. 


47 


COLOMA  FINE  SAND 

Extent  and  distribution. — While  by  far  the  greater  portion  of 
the  material  included  in  this  type  is  fine  in  texture,  there  is  a 
marked  variation  to  this  in  some  of  the  areas  to  the  east  of  Clin- 
tonville.  In  these  areas,  the  soil  and  subsoil  both  consist  of 
very  fine  sand.  Because  of  its  extreme  fineness  and  the  pres- 
ence of  organic  matter,  these  areas  approach  in  value  the  fine 
sandy  loam.  The  chief  areas  of  very  fine  sand  are  found  in  T. 
25  N.  R.  15  E.  in  Section  Nos.  14,  15,  21,  22,  23,  24,  25,  26,  27, 
34,  35,  and  36. 

The  Coloma  fine  sand  is  confined  to  the  eastern  part  of  the 
county.  The  areas  east  of  White  Lake,  south  of  New  London, 
and  those  about  5 miles  east  of  Clintonville  are  the  most  exten- 
sive. 

Description. — The  surface  soil  of  this  type  to  an  average 
depth  of  6 inches  consists  of  a brownish-yellow,  loose,  fine  sand 
which  contains  only  a limited  amount  of  organic  matter.  The 
surface  two  or  three  inches  has  a somewhat  darker  color  than 
the  material  immediately  below  this  depth.  This  is  due  to  the 
larger  amount  of  organic  matter  near  the  surface. 

The  subsoil  consists  of  a loose  yellowT  fine  sand  which  extends 
to  a depth  of  at  least  36  inches,  and  usually  to  a much  greater 
depth.  In  a few  instances,  traces  of  red  clay  were  found  a lit- 
tle below  three  feet.  This  is  the  same  material  which  makes  up 
the  subsoil  of  the  Superior  soils. 

Topography  and  drainage. — The  soil  has  a gently  rolling  sur- 
face which  in  a few  places  becomes  nearly  hilly.  It  usually  oc- 
cupies the  most  elevated  positions  and  is  thus  exposed  to  pre- 
vailing winds.  Where  the  surface  is  not  protected  the  material 
is  sometimes  blown  by  the  wind  into  dunes.  In  a few  places 
wind  action  has  rendered  this  soil  unfit  for  cultivation.  Such 
places,  however,  are  of  limited  area. 

Because  of  the  loose  open  character  of  this  soil  and  the  sur- 
face features,  the  natural  drainage  is  very  thorough  and  in 
places  somewhat  excessive. 

Origin. — This  soil  has  been  derived  largely  from  glaciated 
sandstone  material.  No  limestone  has  entered  into  its  forma- 
tion, and  both  soil  and  subsoil  are  in  an  acid  condition. 

Native  vegetation. — The  original  timber  growth  consisted 
chiefly  of  scrubby  white  and  black  oak,  poplar,  and  pine. 


48 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY. 


Present  agricultural  development  * — Approximately  75%  of 
this  soil  is  cleared  and  used  for  some  agricultural  purpose.  The 
range  of  crops  grown  is  more  limited  than  in  the  heavier  soils. 

Corn  and  potatoes  are  grown  most  extensively,  but  average 

yields  are  low.  Clover  and  grasses  do  not  do  well.  Small 

grains  are  grown,  but  yields  are  low.  Rye  is  the  most  impor- 

tant grain.  Buckwheat  is  a crop  of  minor  importance.  Cucum- 
bers are  grown  in  places  and  frequently  produce  very  satisfac- 
satisfactory  yields. 

VILAS  SANDY  LOAM 

Extent  and  distribution. — The  Vilas  sandy  loam  is  con- 
fined chiefly  to  the  northwestern  quarter  of  the  county.  It  oc- 
curs mostly  in  irregular  areas  seldom  greater  than  one  or  two 
square  miles  in  extent.  Some  of  the  more  important  tracts  are 
found  in  the  vicinity  of  North  Lake  and  in  the  stretch  of  coun- 
try between  Ogdensburg  and  Big  Falls. 

Description. — The  surface  soil  of  the  Vilas  sandy  loam,  to  an 
average  depth  of  about  12  inches  consists  of  a brown  or  gray- 
ish-brown sandy  loam  or  a loamy  sand  of  a rather  loose  and 
open  structure.  This  grades  into  a light  brown  or  yellowish 
loamy  sand  which  at  about  24  inches  grades  into  a gritty  sandy 
clay  or  sometimes  into  a light  clay  loam.  Quite  frequently  this 
heavy  material  is;  in  the  form  of  a layer  of  from  6 to  10  inches 
in  thickness,  below  which  sandy  material  is  again  found.  In  a 
few  instances  this  heavier  layer  was  entirely  absent  or  only  a 
few  inches  in  thickness.  A small  amount  of  gravel  is  some- 
times found  upon  the  surface  and  mixed  with  both  soil  and  sub- 
soil. As  is  the  case  with  the  Vilas  sand,  the  sandy  loam  fre- 
quently has  upon  the  surface  a number  of  stones  and  bowlders. 
Wherever  these  are  found  in  sufficient  numbers  so  as  to  inter- 
fere with  farming  operations  to  any  marked  extent  they  have 
been  indicated  on  the  map  by  means  of  appropriate  symbols. 
Over  most  of  the  type  they  are  not  sufficiently  numerous  to  de- 
tract from  the  value  of  the  land. 

There  is  some  variation  in  the  type  and  in  a few  cases  it  ap- 
proaches a fine  sandy  loam  in  texture. 

Topography  and  drainage. — The  surface  of  the  Vilas  sandy 
loam  ranges  from  gently  rolling  to  rolling  and  hilly.  The  type 


* For  chemical  composition  and  improvement  see  page  50. 


GROUP  OF  SANDY  LOAMS  AND  FINE  SANDS.  • 49 


quite  frequently  occurs  as  ridges,  some  of  which  are  quite  pro- 
nounced. In  some  instances  the  slopes  are  extremely  steep, 
quite  frequently  eroded  and  often  stony.  These  extremely  rough 
areas  have  been  indicated  on  the  map  separately  and  referred 
to  as  a rough  phase.  The  soil  within  the  rough  areas  is  usually 
subject  to  more  variation  than  the  typical  soil.  The  topography 
of  the  typical  soil  is  such  that  modern  farm  machinery  can  be 
used  on  practically  all  of  the  areas.  On  the  rough  phase  this 
is  difficult  and  it  is  often  impossible  to  use  modern  farm  ma- 
chinery. 

On  account  of  the  irregular  surface  features  and  the  rather 
open  character  of  the  subsoil  the  natural  drainage  is  well  estab- 
lished and  often  excessive. 

Origin. — This  type  of  soil  has  practically  the  same  origin  as 
the  Yilas  sand  having  been  derived  through  glacial  action  from 
crystalline  rock  material  mixed  with  debris  from  sandstone 
rocks.  It  is  probable  that  the  sandy  loam  however,  contains  a 
somewhat  larger  proportion  of  material  derived  from  the  gran- 
itic rocks  than  is  the  case  with  the  sand  type.  No  limestone  ma- 
terial has  entered  into  the  formation  of  this  type,  and  both  soil 
and  subsoil  show  varying  degrees  of  acidity. 

Native  vegetation. — The  original  timber  growth  consisted 
largely  of  oak  with  some  white  pine,  poplar,  birch  and  a small 
amount  of  maple  and  elm  in  places.  At  the  present  time  the  cut- 
over sections  which  are  not  cultivated  have  a second  growth  of 
poplar,  scrubby  oak,  hazel  brush,  and  some  sweet  fern. 

Present  agricultural  development. — Probably  somewhat  over 
half  of  this  soil  is  under  cultivation  at  present,  and  where  im- 
proed  and  where  fair  methods  are  followed,  usually  quite  satis- 
factory returns  are  secured.  Dairying  and  potato  raising  are 
the  chief  lines  of  farming.  Somewhat  better  yields  are  secured 
than  on  the  sand  type.  Potatoes  are  better  adapted  to  this  soil 
than  to  the  Yilas  sand,  and  the  type  is  more  readily  improved. 
The  most  common  rotation  followed  consists  of  a small  grain, 
followed  by  clover,  and  then  by  corn  or  potatoes.  Some  diffi- 
culty is  experienced  in  getting  stands  of  clover — one  reason  be- 
ing that  the  soil  is  acid  and  needs  lime.  In  a few  cases  this  has 
been  supplied  with  good  results,  but  on  most  of  the  farms  no 
lime  has  ever  been  used. 


4— w.  o. 


50 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY. 


CHEMICAL  COMPOSITION  AND  FERTILITY  OF  FINE  SANDS  AND  SANDY 

LOAMS 

These  soils  have  intermediate  texture  and  hence  have  moder- 
ate water-holding  capacity.  They  are  not  fine  enough  to  be  es- 
pecially well  adapted  to  grasses  for  pasture,  though  a fair  qual- 
ity of  pasturage  can  be  secured  on  the  heavier  phases  of  these 
soils.  The  more  deeply  rooted  crops,  such  as  clover,  rye,  corn 
and  potatoes,  find  sufficient  moisture  during  average  seasons  and 
suffer  from  drought  only  during  periods  of  relatively  low  rain- 
fall. 

In  chemical  composition  these  soils  are  also  of  an  interme- 
diate character.  The  total  phosphorus  averages  from  850  to 
900  pounds  in  all  types  except  the  Yilas  sandy  loam  which  con- 
tains on  an  average  about  1,150  pounds  in  the  surface  8 inches 
per  acre,  or  from  25  to  40  per  cent  more  than  the  other  types. 
The  total  potassium  of  the  surface  8 inches  per  acre  is  approxi- 
mately 25,000  pounds  or  but  little  over  one-half  of  that  found 
in  heavier  soils  such  as  the  Kennan  silt  loam.  The  organic  mat- 
ter of  these  soils  is  also  comparatively  low,  averaging  from  2.5 
to  3.0  per  cent  in  the  surface  8 inches  and  from  1 to  2 per  cent 
in  the  second  8 inches.  They  have  a correspondingly  low  nitro- 
gen content  averaging  from  a thousand  to  1,500  pounds  in  the 
surface  8 inches  and  from  500  to  800  pounds  in  the  second  8 
inches.  This  organic  matter  is  largely  in  the  form  of  leaf -mold 
and  fine  roots  and  is  hence  of  an  active  character  so  that  it  de- 
composes quickly  when  the  surface  is  first  broken,  furnishing  a 
sufficient  supply  of  nitrogen  for  a good  growth  of  crops  for  a 
few  years.  It  however,  is  exhausted  with  comparative  readiness 
and  the  most  important  point  in  the  management  of  all  of  these 
soils  is  to  follow  methods  which  will  maintain  and  increase  the 
organic  matter.  In  the  virgin  condition  these  soils  are  but 
slightly  acid  as  a rule,  but  with  continued  cropping  the  acidity 
increases  and  for  the  best  growth  of  clover  and  especially  al- 
falfa liming  is  essential.  This  use  of  lime  not  only  makes  the 
soil  more  suitable  for  the  growth  of  alfalfa  and  clover  but  as- 
sists in  preventing  the  leaching  of  phosphorus  and  maintaining 
it  in  a form  which  is  available  for  growing  crops. 

The  management  of  these  soils  to  maintain  the  fertility  will 
depend  to  a considerable  extent  on  the  crops  grown  and  on 
whether  or  not  stock  is  maintained  to  which  the  produce  of  the 


GROUP  OF  SANDY  LOAMS  AND  FINE  SANDS. 


51 


farm  is  fed.  When  dairying  or  other  live  stock  farming  is  prac- 
ticed it  will  be  less1  difficult  to  maintain  the  supply  of  the  essen- 
tial elements  of  plant  food — phosphorus,  potassium,  and  nitro- 
gen. But  even  when  stock  is  maintained  it  is  very  probable  that 
the  moderate  use  of  some  form  of  phosphorus  fertilizers  will  be 
found  profitable,  and  some  means  for  increasing  the  organic 
matter  in  addition  to  the  use  of  stable  manure  should  be  made 
use  of  as  far  as  practicable.  The  growth  of  a crop  of  soybeans 
or  clover,  occasionally,  all  of  which  is  to  be  plowed  under  as  a 
green  manuring  crop,  will  be  found  very  profitable  in  its  effect 
on  the  succeeding  crop  of  corn  or  grain. 

When  these  soils  are  used  for  the  growing  of  potatoes  or  other 
special  crops  to  a considerable  extent  the  use  of  commercial  fer- 
tilizers containing  phosphorus  and  potassium  will  be  found  nec- 
essary to  maintain  the  soil  fertility.  Clover  or  some  other 
legume  must  be  grown  regularly  in  the  rotation  to  maintain  the 
nitrogen  and  organic  matter,  and  part  or  all  of  this  should  be 
plowed  under.  It  is  often  desirable  to  use  the  commercial  fer- 
tilizers containing  phosphorus  and  potassium  in  order  to  secure 
a good  growth  of  this  clover  and  there  is  little  loss  in  so  doing, 
since  essentially  all  of  the  phosphorus  and  potassium  applied  to 
the  soil  for  the  clover  becomes  available  to  the  succeeding  crop 
through  the  decomposition  of  the  organic  matter. 

The  use  of  lime  in  some  form,  and  also  the  inoculation  of  the 
soil  is  of  the  utmost  importance  when  alfalfa  is  to  be  grown 
and  will  be  found  helpful  on  the  older  fields  even  for  the  growth 
of  medium  red  or  mammoth  clover. 

While  the  use  of  commercial  fertilizers  containing  phosphorus 
and  potassium  is  desirable  in  the  management  of  these  soils  it 
must  not  be  considered  that  this  is  an  indication  that  they  have 
less  value,  than  heavier  soils  which  are  relatievly  higher  in  these 
elements,  for  the  growth  of  potatoes  and  other  special  crops. 
The  fact  that  these  soils  become  dry  and  warm  early  in  the  sea- 
son makes  them  less  subject  to  local  frosts  and  the  finer  tilth 
which  these  fine  sands  and  sandy  loams  develop  fit  them  espe- 
cially well  for  the  growth  of  potatoes  and  some  other  root  crops, 
since  they  are  practically  free  from  checking  and  cracking. 
The  cost  of  these  fertilizers  is  a comparatively  small  part  of  the 
total  cost  of  growing  these  crops. 

From  the  above  it  will  be  seen  that  by  the  use  of  lime,  by  in- 
creasing the  organic  matter  in  the  soil,  and  by  the  careful  use 


of  commercial  fertilizers  containing  phosphorus,  these  sandy 
soils  may  be  improved  and  made  to  produce  profitable  crops. 


For  further  suggestions  on  the  management  of  these  soils  and 
for  information  regarding  source  and  use  of  fertilizers  consult 
Bulletin  204  and  230  of  the  Experiment  Station. 


GROUP  OF  SAND  SOILS. 


53 


CHAPTER  V. 

GROUP  OP  SAND  SOILS 

PLAINFIELD  SAND 

Extent  and  distribution. — The  Plainfield  sand  is  quite  an  ex- 
tensive soil.  The  principal  development  of  the  type  is  found  in 
the  southwestern  part  of  the  county  in  the  Town  of  Dayton.  It 
is  found  in  other  smaller  areas  in  various  other  parts  of  the 
county,  but  mostly  in  the  western  half.  In  the  northeastern  por- 
tion this  soil  is  found  in  the  vicinity  of  Embarrass  and  along  the 
Pigeon  River  between  Clintonville  and  Marion. 

Description. — The  ^surface  of  Plainfield  sand  to  an  aver- 
age depth  of  8 to  12  inches  consists  of  a loose,  rather  open 
sand  of  medium  texture.  It  has  a grayish-brown  or  yellowish- 
brown  color  at  the  surface,  indicating  a low  content  of  organic 
matter.  The  upper  subsoil  is  often  a rusty  brown  grading  into 
a yellow  or  light  yellow  sand  which  frequently  contain  a small 
amount  of  fine  gravel.  Gravel  and  a few  small  stones  are  some- 
times found  in  and  on  the  surface  soil. 

The  chief  variation  in  this  soil  is  found  in  the  areas  in  the 
eastern  and  northeastern  parts  of  the  county  where  the  material 
contains  less  gravel  and  is  frequently  entirely  free  from  both 
gravel  and  stones. 

Topography  and  drainage. — The  surface  of  Plainfield  sand  is 
level  to  very  slightly  undulating.  In  a few  places  there  are  pot 
holes  or  sags,  but  these  are  always  of  limited  area.  The  slight 
surface  relief  is  due  chiefly  to  wind  action.  A few  hummocks 
occur  which  are  quite  pronounced  sand  dunes. 

Because  of  the  loose  open  character  of  the  material  the  nat- 
ural drainage  is  excessive  except  where  the  water  table  comes 
close  to  the  surface. 

Origin . — The  soil  is  of  alluvial  origin  and  has  been  deposited 
as  outwash  plains  and  stream  terraces.  The  material  has  been 
derived  both  from  crystalline  and  from  sandstone  glacial  drift. 
In  the  western  and  north  central  portions  of  the  county  the 
dark  colored  crystalline  grains  are  quite  numerous ; while  in  the 


54  SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY. 

eastern  part  there  is  a larger  proportion  of  quartz  grains. 
There  is  no  calcareous  material  present  and  both  soil  and  sub- 
soil show  varying  degrees  of  acidity. 

Native  vegetation. — The  original  timber  growth  consisted  of 
scrub  oak,  jack  pine,  and  white  pine  with  hazel  brush  and  sweet 
fern  quite  abundant.  Most  of  the  type  has  been  cleared  and 
placed  under  cultivation,  but  because  of  its  low  productiveness 
and  droughty  condition,  some  farms  have  been  abandoned.  It 
is  not  uncommon  for  fields  to  remain  idle  for  several  years  at  a 
time. 

Present  agricultural  development  * — Probably  75%  of  this 
type  is  under  cultivation  more  or  less  regularly  and  while  there 
are  some  highly  improved  prosperous  farms  located  upon  it, 
there  are  more  farms  that  are  in  a depleted  state.  The  chief 
crops  grown  are  potatoes,  rye,  corn  and  hay.  Clover  does  not 
do  well  unless  special  attention  is  given  to  it.  Rye  does  better 
than  other  small  grains  but  average  yields  are  low. 

Potatoes  are  the  chief  cash  crop,  and  a considerable  acreage  is 
grown  on  nearly  every  farm  each  year.  Some  dairying  is  car- 
ried on,  and  this  is  a good  system  for  building  up  the  soil,  but 
the  difficulty  of  securing  good  yields  of  forage  crops  gives  this 
soil  a handicap  in  the  dairy  industry. 

VILAS  sand 

Extent  and  distribution. — The  Vilas  sand  is  found  most  ex- 
tensively in  the  southwest  quarter  of  Waupaca  County.  The 
most  extensive  areas  are  found  in  Dayton  Township  and  in  the 
southern  part  of  Farrington  Township.  Smaller  areas  occur  in 
the  northwestern  portion  of  the  county,  chiefly  in  the  vicinity 
south  of  Big  Falls.  Smaller  and  less  important  areas  are  found 
throughout  the  western  half  of  the  county. 

Description. — The  surface  soil  of  the  Vilas  sand  to  an  average 
depth  of  about  8 inches  consists  of  a brown  or  grayish-brown 
sand  or  slightly  loamy  sand  of  medium  texture.  In  structure 
the  material  is  usually  loose  and  open.  In  some  small  areas  the 
texture  approaches  a fine  sand,  while  in  others  the  soil  is  some- 
what loamy,  but  these  variations  are  not  of  sufficient  extent  to 
be  mapped  separately.  In  places  the  virgin  soil  is  slightly 
darker  than  usual  in  the  surface  1 or  2 inches  because  of  the  ac- 


* See  page  56  for  chemical  composition  and  improvement. 


Wis.  Geol.  and  Natural  Hist.  Survey. 


Plate  III. 


SHOWING  ROLLING  SURFACE  OF  VILAS  SAND. 

While  erosion  is  usually  not  a serious  problem  on  sandy  soils,  these 
fields,  being-  somewhat  steeper  than  the  average,  have  washed  badly. 
This  is  due  chiefly  to  furrows  which  ran  up  and  down  the  slope  along 
the  edge  of  the  fields.  The  surface  water,  during  heavy  rains  col- 
lected in  these  furrows  and  soon  cut  deep  channels.  With  a little 
care  this  could  have  been  prevented.  Furrows  should  be  run  with  the 
contour  of  the  hills. 


SHOWING  TYPICAL  LEVEL  SURFACE  OF  PLAINFIELD  SAND. 

This  soil  is  loose  and  open  in  structure,  somewhat  droughty  and  de- 
ficient in  both  nitrogen  and  the  mineral  plant  foods.  With  proper 
methods  of  fertilization  and  cultivation,  however,  it  can  be  made  to 
produce  fair  crops  as  indicated  in  this  view. 


GROUP  OF  SAND  SOILS. 


55 


cumulation  of  a small  amount  of  organic  matter.  After  a few 
years  of  cultivation,  howeevr,  this  usually  disappears.  The  sub- 
soil consists  of  a yellow  or  yellowish-brown  sand  of  about  me- 
dium texture.  This  very  frequently  becomes  lighter  in  color 
and  coarser  in  texture  with  increase  in  depth.  In  some  in- 
stances gravel  may  occur  sparingly  on  the  surface,  but  it  is  usu- 
ally more  abundant  in  the  subsoil  below  a depth  of  24  inches. 

Stones  and  bowlders  of  glacial  origin  are  quite  commonly 
found  scattered  over  the  surface  of  this  soil,  but  typically  these 
are  not  sufficiently  numerous  to  interfere  materially  with  culti- 
vation. In  some  localities,  however,  they  do  interfere  with  ag- 
ricultural operations  to  a marked  extent.  Such  areas  are  indi- 
cated on  the  soil  map  by  means  of  appropriate  symbols.  Where 
the  soil  is  stony  there  is  frequently  more  variation  in  texture 
than  over  typical  areas  of  this  soil. 

Topography  and  drainage. — The  surface  of  the  Vilas  sand 
varies  from  gently  rolling  to  somewhat  hilly.  Most  of  the  slopes 
are  rather  gentle  and  the  hills  fairly  well  rounded.  Many  areas 
have  but  a gently  rolling  topography.  In  the  southwestern  part 
of  the  county  many  of  the  areas  of  Vilas  sand  stand  out  in 
rather  sharp  contrast  to  the  surrounding  level  country  where 
the  soils  belong  to  the  Plainfield  series.  Because  of  the  surface 
features  and  the  loose,  open  character  of  the  soil  and  subsoil,  the 
natural  drainage  is  very  good  and  often  somewhat  excessive. 

Origin. — Vilas  sand  has  been  derived  from  glacial  action 
largely  from  crystalline  rock  formations,  although  the  underly- 
ing rock  where  much  of  the  type  occurs  now  consists  of  sand- 
stone. The  ice  sheet  in  its  movement  carried  the  material  from 
the  region  of  the  granitic  rocks  out  over  the  standstone  area  so 
that  the  resulting  soil  consists  of  a mixture  of  the  materials 
from  these  two  sources.  Crystalline  rock  material,  however,  ap- 
pears to  predominate.  No  limestone  material  has  entered  into 
the  formation  of  this  soil  and  it  is  all  in  an  acid  condition. 

Native  vegetation. — The  original  timber  growth  on  this  land 
consisted  of  scrubby  oak,  and  some  white  pine.  In  the  areas  to- 
ward the  northern  part  of  the  county  some  Norway  pine  was 
found,  and  in  a few  instances  hickory  has  been  found  growing 
on  this  soil.  The  chief  growth  at  present  consists  of  scrubby 
oak,  hazel  and  sweet  fern. 

Present  agricultural  development .# — Probably  less  than  half 


* For  chemical  composition  and  improvement  of  this  soil  see  page  56. 


56 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY. 


of  the  Vilas  sand  is  under  cultivation  at  the  present  time. 
Where  cleared  and  under  cultivation  general  farming,  dairying 
and  potato  raising  are  the  usual  lines  followed.  Potatoes  are 
the  most  important  cash  crop  and  yield  from  75  to  about  125 
bushels  to  the  acre  with  occasional  yields  which  are  somewhat 
higher  where  special  and  improved  methods  have  been  followed. 
Corn  yields  from  15  to  35  bushels,  oats  from  15  to  30  bushels, 
rye  from  10  to  15  bushels,  and  hay  from  % to  % tons  per  acre. 
It  is  somewhat  difficult  to  get  a good  stand  of  clover  on  this  soil 
and  timothy  does  not  succeed  very  well.  The  yields  on  this  soil 
depend  to  a considerable  extent  upon  the  amount  and  distribu- 
tion of  rainfall  and  the  manure  or  organic  matter  applied  to 
the  soil.  The  type  is  quite  easily  exhausted  by  continuous  or 
improper  cropping,  and  the  methods  followed  are  usually  not 
those  best  suited  to  building  up  the  productiveness  of  the  land. 

CHEMICAL  COMPOSITION  AND  FERTILITY  OF  SAND  SOILS 

In  some  respects  sandy  soils  have  advantages  over  heavier 
soils.  They  become  drier  and  therefore  warmer  and  can  be 
worked  earlier  in  the  spring  and  more  quickly  after  rains  than 
heavier  soils.  These  advantages  are  particularly  important  in 
regions  of  short  growing  periods.  But  when  the  soil  is  too 
sandy  it  does  not  hold  sufficient  water  from  one  rainfall  to  an- 
other to  satisfy  the  needs  of  the  growing  crops  and  they  there- 
fore suffer  from  drought.  Moreover,  sandy  soils  are  lower  in 
their  supply  of  the  chemical  elements  demanded  by  crops  than 
heavier  soils.  When  these  two  factors  become  too  low  they  limit 
the  profitable  farming  of  these  soils.  In  the  mapping  of  the 
Soil  Survey  those  soils  which  are  classed  as  fine  sands  or  sandy 
loams  have  fairly  good  water-holding  capacity,  and  when  their 
fertility  is  properly  maintained  their  good  qualities  in  regard 
to  warmth  and  earliness  can  be  taken  advantage  of  and  they 
can  be  farmed  with  profit.  But  soils  which  are  classified  as 
sands,  such  as  the  Coloma  and  Plainfield  sands,  are  so  coarse 
as  a rule  that  they  do  not  have  sufficient  water-holding  capacity 
and  their  use  for  the  growth  of  staple  crops  is  ordinarily  un- 
profitable, unless  unusual  skill  is  used  in  their  management.  It 
must  be  kept  distinctly  in  mind,  however,  that  all  types  as 
mapped  show  some  variation  in  texture  or  fineness  of  grain. 

The  chief  factor  limiting  their  agricultural  use  is  that  of  wa- 
ter-holding capacity.  This  depends  chiefly  on  the  texture  or 


GROUP  OF  SAND  SOILS. 


57 


fineness  of  grain  and  cannot  be  affected  by  any  treatment  it  is 
practicable  to  give  them.  The  water-holding  capacity  can  be 
somewhat  increased  by  increasing  the  amount  of  organic  matter, 
but  this  is  a comparatively  slow  process  and  the  amount  of  or- 
ganic matter  it  is  practicable  to  develop  and  maintain  in  these 
soils  will  increase  their  water-holding  capacity  only  to  a limited 
extent. 

The  total  content  of  the  essential  elements  of  plant  food  in 
these  soils  is  moderate.  The  total  phosphorus  in  the  surface  8 
inches  per  acre  averages  between  750  andj  900  pounds  and  in 
the  second  8 inches  between  600  and  700  pounds.  The  total  po- 
tassium in  the  surface  8 inches  per  acre  is  about  25,000  pounds 
in  comparison  with  50,000  or  55,000  pounds  in  the  silt  loam  soils 
of  that  region.  The  total  nitrogen  content  is  between  1,200  and 
1,400  pounds  in  the  surface  8 inches  per  acre. 

When  a sufficient  supply  of  active  organic  matter  is  devel- 
oped in  these  soils  a considerable  portion  of  the  phosphorus  and 
potassium  will  undoubtedly  be  made  available,  but  the  use  of 
fertilizers  containing  these  elements  in  a more  readily  available 
form  is  desirable  whenever  these  soils  are  farmed. 

The  starting  point  in  the  improvement  of  these  soils  is  the 
development  of  active  organic  matter  through  the  growth  of 
legumes  which  are  able  to  secure  their  nitrogen  supply  from  the 
atmosphere.  But  before  legumes  can  be  grown  with  the  great- 
est success  the  liming  of  the  soil  is  necessary.  The  growth  of 
a good  crop  of  mammoth  clover  or  soybeans  through  the  use  of 
lime  and  mineral  fertilizers  containing  phosphorus  and  potas- 
sium is  the  best  means  of  supplying  this  nitrogen  and  organic 
matter.  In  most  cases  this  legume  should  be  plowed  under  as  a 
green  manuring  crop. 

Probably  the  best  way  to  get  clover  started  is  to  seed  with  a 
small  grain.  By  using  a light  seeding  of  rye,  disked  or  har- 
rowed in  and  seeded  to  clover  in  the  spring,  a good  stand  can 
usually  be  secured.  The  seed  should  be  put  in  a little  deeper 
than  on  heavy  soils,  and  the  drill  should  be  followed  by  a cor- 
rugated roller,  oh  if  this  implement  is  not  at  hand,  an  ordin- 
ary roller,  followed  by  a light  harrow  should  be  used.  When 
clover  is  seeded  with  a small  grain  in  this  way  the  growing 
grain  helps  to  hold  the  soil  in  place  and  prevent  blowing  of  the 
loose  soil  by  the  wind. 

As  the  result  of  careful  experiments  on  extremely  sandy  soils 
it  appears  that  the  best  crop  rotation  for  this  class  of  land  con- 


58 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY. 


sists  of  rye,  clover,  and  corn.  If  the  fertility  is  extremely  low. 
it  will  be  advisable  to  plow  under  the  entire  clover  crop.  If 
the  fertility  is  fair  the  first  crop  may  be  cut  for  hay  and  the 
second  plowed  under.  While  potatoes  are  quite  extensively 
grown  on  these  extremely  sandy  soil^  this  crop  is  not  as  well 
adapted  to  the  sand  soils  as  to  sandy  loam  types.  It  has  been 
shown  by  actual  field  tests  that  the  yields  of  corn,  for  example, 
can  be  more  readily  increased  on  the  sand  soil  than  can  the  yield 
of  potatoes.  The  potato  when  grown  on  sand  soil  does  not  re- 
spond to  methods  of  soil  improvement  as  readily  as  when  grown 
on  soils  which  contain  somewhat  more  silt  and  clay.  The  sandy 
loams  and  fine  sands  and  fine  sandy  loams  are  much  better 
adapted  to  potato  culture  than  are  the  sand  soils.  It  is  there- 
fore advisable  to  reduce,  where  possible,  the  acreage  of  potatoes 
on  sand  soils. 

With  an  increased  acreage  of  corn  it  will  be  possible  to  put 
up  enough  silage  so  silage  may  be  used  for  summer  feeding. 
With  this  practice  less  pasture  will  be  required,  and  this  again 
will  be  desirable  since  the  sand  soils  do  not  supply  good  graz- 
ing, and  are  not  well  adapted  to  any  of  the  grasses.  This  sys- 
tem would  make  possible  keeping  more  stock,  and  with  the  in- 
creased supply  of  manure  the  fertility  of  the  land  could  be  more 
readily  maintained. 


GROUP  OF  POORLY  DRAINED  SOILS. 


59 


CHAPTER  VI. 

GROUP  OF  POORLY  DRAINED  SOILS 

GENESEE  FINE  SANDY  LOAM 

Most  of  this  soil  is  limited  to  the  valley  of  the  Wolf  River 
where  it  is  found  at  and  below  New  London.  A few  other 
patches  occur  along  the  Little  Wolf  river  near  Manawa. 

The  surface  soil  of  this  type  consists  of  a brown  or  dark  brown 
fine  sandy  loam  about  8 to  10  inches  deep.  Some  of  the  surface 
soil  is  more  nearly  a very  fine  sandy  loam.  The  subsoil  is  a 
lighter  brown  fine  sand,  somewhat  loamy  with  frequent  thin  lay- 
ers of  red  clay.  In  the  lower  depths  there  is  usually  found  fine 
sand.  The  type  is  somewhat  variable  in  texture,  ranging  from 
a fine  sand  to  a loam,  but  these  separations  could  not  be  made 
because  of  the  limited  extend  of  the  phases. 

The  surface  of  the  type  is  level,  and  it  is  all  within  the  present 
flood  plain  of  the  streams  along  which  it  occurs.  The  natural 
drainage  is  therefore  very  deficient. 

The  material  forming  the  soil  is  all  of  alluvial  origin  and  has 
come  in  part  from  sandstone  and  in  part  from  crystalline  rock 
material, 

The  native  timber  growth  consists  of  elm,  ash,  willows,  coarse 
marsh  grasses  and  other  water  loving  vegetation. 

Since  the  type  is  all  subject  to  overflow  only  a very  small  part 
of  it  has  been  brought  under  cultivation.  Near  New  London 
this  soil  is  being  farmed  to  some  extent  to  truck  crops,  and  good 
returns  are  secured  when  floods  do  not  interfere.  Most  of  the 
soil  is  used  for  pasture  and  for  hay,  to  which  in  its  present  con- 
dition it  is  doubtless  best  adapted. 

The  danger  from  flooding  makes  farming  on  this  land  uncer- 
tain, so  that  the  development  of  this  type  of  soil  is  not  encourag- 
ing. To  prevent  flooding  dikes  would  in  most  cases  be  neces- 
sary, and  such  great  expense  would  not  be  justified  under  pres- 
ent conditions. 


60 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY. 


GENESEE  SILT  LOAM 

Most  of  this  soil  is  associated  with  the  fine  sandy  loam  along 
the  Wolf  River.  Often  a strip  of  fine  sandy  loam  lies  between 
the  silt  loam  and  the  river.  The  sandy  soil  being  slightly  higher 
than  the  silt  loam. 

The  surface  soil  of  this  type  to  a depth  of  10  inches  consists 
of  a brown  or  frequently  dark  brown  rather  compact  silt  loam. 
The  underlying  material  is  of  a lighter  brown  color,  in  places 
it  has  a suggestion  of  red  in  it.  The  subsoil  is  usually  a silt 
loam  or  silty  clay  loam  in  which  lenses  of  fine  sand  sometimes 
occur.  The  deep  subsoil  is  frequently  found  to  be  a fine  sandy 
loam  or  very  fine  sand.  The  type  as  a whole  is  subject  to  con- 
siderable variation. 

The  surface  of  this  soil  is  level,  and  as  it  is  low  and  within 
the  flood  plain  of  streams  the  natural  drainage  is  very  poor. 
It  is  subject  to  annual  flooding  and  in  places  new  material  is 
being  added  to  it  each  high  water. 

The  timber  growth  consists  of  ash,  elm,  willow,  soft  maple, 
coarse  grasses  and  other  water  loving  vegetation.  In  a few 
places  attempts  have  been  made  to  cultivate  it  but  the  danger 
of  flooding  prevent  any  extensive  developments.  The  soil  itself 
is  very  fertile  and  productive,  and  if  the  drainage  could  be  per- 
fected it  would  be  a valuable  soil.  Under  present  conditions  it 
would  not  be  practicable  to  attempt  to  drain  it.  The  use  of 
dikes,  and  possibly  pumping  plants  would  be  necessary  which 
would  not  be  justifiable  under  prevailing  conditions. 

WHITMAN  SILT  LOAM 

Extent  and  distribution. — This  type  occurs  in  two  distinct 
forms.  One  is  as  depressions,  or  sags  in  the  upland,  and  the 
other  is  as  low  land  bordering  streams.  The  latter  is  by  far 
the  most  extensive,  and  the  largest  tract  of  this  type  is  found 
along  the  Wolf  River  just  north  of  Fremont,  in  the  southeastern 
part  of  the  county.  Smaller  tracts  occur  along  the  same  stream 
in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  county  and  also  along  the  Em- 
barrass River.  A few  scattered  areas  of  the  other  phase  occur 
throughout  the  remainder  of  the  county,  but  these  are  of  lim- 
ited extent. 

Description.— The  surface  soil  of  this  type  to  a depth  of  10 
to  18  inches  consists  of  a dark  brown  or  black  loam  to  silt  loam 


GROUP  OF  POORLY  DRAINED  SOILS. 


61 


which,  contains  a large  amount  of  organic  matter.  In  numerous 
places  there  is  a thin  layer  of  peat  or  muck  over  the  surface  of 
the  earthy  matter.  This  organic  matter  layer,  however,  is  not 
sufficient  to  justify  classing  the  type  as  peat  or  Muck.  The  sub- 
soil consists  of  a black  or  dark  brown  heavy  loam  or  silty  clay 
loam  which  at  from  18  to  24  inches  usually  becomes  gray  or 
bluish  in  color,  with  numerous  yellow  and  rusty  mottlings.  In 
the  lower  portion  of  the  3 foot  section  the  texture  frequently 
becomes  lighter  and  is  often  a fine  or  very  fine  sandy  loam. 
The  type  is  subject  to  considerable  variation  in  texture,  depth 
of  the  black  soil  over  the  bluish  subsoil,  and  also  in  the  sand 
layer  in  the  deep  subsoil.  It  is  uniform  however  in  being  all 
rather  heavy,  dark  colored,  high  in  organic  matter  and  all 
poorly  drained,  giving  it  all  a uniformity  in  its  present  agri- 
cultural value. 

Topography  and  drainage. — The  surface  of  this  type  is  level, 
or  having  only  a very  gentle  slope  toward  the  stream  along 
which  it  occurs.  The  small  depressed  tracts  frequently  have  a 
saucer  shape.  Because  of  its  low  position,  and  its  situation 
adjacent  to  streams  its  natural  drainage  is  very  deficient.  Prac- 
tically all  of  that  along  streams  is  subject  to  overflow,  and  much 
of  it  is  under  water  for  some  portion  of  each  year. 

Origin. — The  portion  of  the  type  adjacent  to  streams  is 
largely  of  alluvial  origin  with  a large  accumulation  of  organic 
matter  in  surface.  The  parent  material  came  largely  from  the 
crystalline  rock  region,  although  within  the  area  much  of  the 
soil  lies  directly  over  sandstone  formations.  The  part  of  the 
type  which  is  not  adjacent  to  streams  is  largely  of  glacial  origin 
and  occurs  chiefly  in  shallow  potholes  or  slight  depressions  where 
drainage  is  deficient,  and  where  there  has  been  an  accumulation 
of  organic  matter.  In  most  cases  there  is  no  lime  carbonate  in 
the  material  forming  this  soil  and  the  material  shows  varying 
degrees  of  acidity. 

Native  vegetation. — The  native  vegetation  on  this  soil  consists 
of  willows,  elm,  ash,  soft  maple,  and  some  poplar.  There  are 
quite  extensive  tracts  which  are  treeless,  and  where  there  is  now 
only  a dense  growth  of  coarse  marsh  grass. 

Present  agricultural  development. — The  chief  use  made  of  this 
soil  is  for  pasture  and  hay,  but  a considerable  part  of  it  is  too 
wet  even  for  such  use. 

Chemical  composition  and  fertility. — The  Whitman  silt  loam 
is  quite  similar  to  the  Clyde  silt  loam  of  southeastern  Wisconsin, 


62 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY. 


differing  chiefly  by  being  acid,  while  the  Clyde  soils  are  not  acid. 
From  the  standpoint  of  plant -food  elements  which  they  contain 
these  two  types  represent  the  best  balanced  soils  in  Wisconsin. 

Whitman  silt  10am  contains  from  3-5  times  as  much, nitrogen 
and  organic  matter  as  does  the  average  light  colored  heavy  soil 
of  the  same  region.  It  contains  from  1,500  to  2,000  pounds  per 
acre  of  phosphorus  in  the  surface  8 inches,  and  from  40.000  to 
50,000  pounds  of  potassium. 

In  the  improvement-  of  this  type  the  first  step  is  to  supply 
adequate  drainage.  Open  ditches  will  not  be  sufficient  by  them- 
selves, and  should  be  supplemented  by  the  use  of  tile  drains. 
When  well  drained  this  will  be  one  of  the  strongest  and  natur- 
ally most  productive  soils  of  the  county.  Because  of  the  ex- 
tremely low  position  the  reclaiming  of  some  of  this  land  would 
require  diking,  which  under  present  conditions  would  not  be 
justified. 


DUNNING  FINE  SANDY  LOAM 

j Extent  and  distribution. — This  soil  is  found  rather  widely  dis- 
tributed throughout  the  county,  usually  in  small  bodies  and 
narrow  strips  along  water  courses.  In  but  few  instances  does 
a single  area  exceed  one  square  mile  in  extent.  The  soil  is 
found  most  extensively  in  the  eastern  half  of  the  county — 
mostly  in  the  southeastern  quarter,  where  it  is  associated  with 
other  low-lying  soils  along  the  valley  of  the  Wolf  River. 
Smaller  tracts  occur  along  the  Embarrass  River  and  also  along 
smaller  streams  of  the  county. 

Description. — The  surface  soil  of  this  type  consists  of  a dark 
brown  to  black  fine  sandy  loam  extending  to  a depth  of  from 
8 to  12  inches.  In  places  the  texture  approaches  a sandy  loam, 
while  in  other  places  it  is  nearly  a very  fine  sandy  loam.  In  all 
cases  it  contains  a large  amount  of  organic  matter  and  there  is 
frequently  a thin  covering  of  peaty  or  mucky  material  over  the 
surface  of  the  type.  This  is  not  deep  enough,  however,  to  be 
classed  as  shallow  peat.  The  subsoil  consists  of  a grayish,  or 
grayish  brown  fine  sandy  loam  or  gritty  sandy  clay  loam  con- 
taining considerable  silt  in  places.  The  deep  subsoil  is  often 
mottled,  especially  where  there  is  the  most  clay  present.  The 
texture  of  the  type  is  quite  variable  but  is  always  somewhat 
sandy,  high  in  organic  matter  and  low-lying. 


GROUP  OF  POORLY  DRAINED  SOILS. 


63 


Topography  and  drainage. — The  surface  of  this  type  is  level, 
it  is  all  low  lying  and  the  natural  drainage  is  very  deficient. 
Much  of  the  type  is  subject  to  overflow  and  portions  of  it  are 
under  water  for  a time  each  year. 

Origin—  That  portion  of  the  type  adjacent  to  streams  is 
largely  alluvial  in  origin,  while  that  more  distant  from  streams 
is  largely  glacial,  occurring  in  old  lake  or  pond  beds.  The  par- 
ent material  came  in  part  from  crystalline  rock  regions,  and  in 
part  from  sandstone  formations.  In  most  cases  the  material  is 
acid. 

Native  vegetation. — The  native  vegetation  consisted  of  elm, 
willows,  ash,  soft  maple,  some  poplar,  and  coarse  marsh  grasses. 
Many  areas  are  treeless  and  support  only  coarse  grasses. 

Present  agricultural  development. — The  chief  use  made  of 
this  soil  is  for  hay  and  pasture  but  much  of  it  is  too  wet  most 
of  the  year  even  for  such  use.  In  a few  instances  better 
drained  parts  of  the  type  have  been  placed  under  cultivation, 
and  during  seasons  of  limited  rainfall  good  crops  are  produced. 

Chemical  composition  and  fertility. — This  soil  is  well  supplied 
with  nitrogen  and  organic  matter,  but  is  usually  deficient  in 
the  mineral  plant  foods  phosphorus  and  potassium.  The  great- 
est deficiency,  however,  is  in  drainage,  and  before  cultivated 
crops  can  be  grown  successfully  a thorough  system  of  drains 
must  be  provided.  Open  ditches  as  now  installed  are  not  suffi- 
cient in  themselves,  and  must  be  supplemented  either  by  open 
laterals,  or  tile  drains,  or  both.  When  drainage  has  been  pro- 
vided it  will  be  found  that  the  most  economical  and  profitable 
crop  production  can  be  secured  by  the  use  of  mineral  fertilizers 
containing  phosphorus  and  potassium.  Such  crops  as  alsike 
clover  and  timothy,  buckwheat,  and  corn  may  be  expected  to 
give  best  results  on  this  kind  of  land  under  good  management. 

POYGAN  CLAY  LOAM 

The  surface  soil  to  a depth  of  8 to  10  inches  consists  of  a dark 
brown  to  black  silty  clay  loam  to  silty  clay.  This  is  underlain 
by  a light  brown,  drab,  or  bluish  silty  clay  often  mottled  with 
brown  and  yellow.  At  from  14  to  20  inches  the  material 
changes  to  a plastic  clay  streaked  or  spotted  with  pinkish-red 
and  bluish-gray.  With  increasing  depth  the  reddish  color  be- 
comes more  pronounced  until  at  from  20-24  inches  the  mate- 
rial becomes  a dense,  pinkish  red  clay  similar  to  the  subsoil  of 
the  Superior  soils. 


64 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY. 


This  type  is  of  limited  extent  and  occurs  in  many  small  widely 
scattered  areas  throughout  the  eastern  half  of  the  county.  It 
is  found  mostly  in  small  pockets  or  sage  of  less  than  100  acres 
in  extent.  The  largest  area  mapped  lies  north  of  Bear  Creek. 

The  surface  is  flat  or  saucer  shaped,  and  the  natural  drainage 
is  poor.  Water  frequently  stands  on  the  surface  in  the  spring 
and  after  heavy  rains.  Before  it  can  he  used  for  cultivated 
crops  drainage  is  necessary.  The  material  forming  this  soil  is 
largely  of  lacustrine  origin  though  it  has  doubtless  been  modi- 
fied to  some  extent  by  glacial  action.  There  has  been  accumu- 
lated at  the  surface  a large  amount  of  organic  matter  which 
accounts  for  its  dark  color.  This  soil  is  seldom  acid,  and  the 
subsoil  frequently  contains  considerable  lime  carbonate. 

The  native  timber  growth  consisted  of  elm,  ash,  willow  with 
considerable  coarse  grass  and  other  water  loving  vegetation. 

This  is  naturally  a strong  productive  soil  when  drained,  but 
only  a very  small  proportion  of  it  has  been  placed  under  cul- 
tivation. Where  cleared,  it  is  being  utilized  chiefly  for  grazing 
and  for  hay.* 


POYGAN  SILT  LOAM 

The  Poygan  silt  loam  is  not  an  extensive  type  but  it  is  found 
in  numerous  small  tracts  throughout  the  northeastern  portion 
of  the  county.  There  is  also  some  in  the  southeastern  part  of 
the  area.  It  frequently  borders  marshes,  and  is  also  associated 
with  soils  of  the  Superior  series. 

The  surface  soil  of  this  type  to  an  average  depth  of  about  12 
inches  consists  of  a dark  brown  or  black  silt  loam  which  contains 
a very  high  proportion  of  organic  matter.  While  much  of  the 
surface  is  a silt  loam  the  type  is  somewhat  variable,  and  many 
of  the  areas  approach  a loam  in  texture  and  there  is  also  some 
fine  sandy  loam  included  with  the  type. 

The  subsoil  consists  of  a gray  or  bluish  silt  loam  which  con- 
tinues to  from  24  to  30  inches  where  the  typical  red  color  of 
the  Superior  clay  loam  is  found.  At  or  near  three  feet,  beds  of 
sand  or  fine  sand  are  frequently  found.  The  upper  portion  of 
the  subsoil  is  subject  to  some  variation.  It  may  be  no  heavier 
than  a loam  with  which  there  is  mixed  more  or  less  gritty  mate- 
rial. Entire  absence  of  the  red  clay  was  noted  in  places. 


* For  chemical  composition  and  improvement  of  this  soil  see  page  66. 


GROUP  OF  POORLY  DRAINED  SOILS. 


65 


The  surface  of  this  type  is  low,  level  and  naturally  very 
poorly  drained.  Most  of  it  is  so  situated,  however,  so  that 
it  can  be  drained  by  the  use  of  tile. 

The  material  forming  this  type  is  largely  lacustrine  but  since 
its  deposition  there  has  been  added  to  it  large  accumulations 
of  organic  matter  through  the  growth  and  decay  of  a rank  vege- 
tation. Before  this  organic  matter  accumulated  the  material 
had  doubtless  been  influenced  to  some  extent  by  glacial  action. 
The  material,  especially  in  the  subsoil,  is  of  a calcareous  nature, 
and  the  type  is  very  seldom  found  to  be  in  an  acid  condition. 

The  original  timber  on  this  land  consisted  chiefly  of  elm, 
soft  maple,  ash,  willows,  alder,  coarse  grasses  and  other  water 
loving  vegetation. 

Because  of  the  naturally  poor  drainage,  only  a small  part  of 
this  type  has  been  placed  under  cultivation.  It  is  a rich  pro- 
ductive soil,  and  when  thoroughly  drained  makes  excellent 
farming  land.  Most  of  it  is  now  utilized  chiefly  for  hay  and 
pasture.* 

POYGAN  FINE  SANDY  LOAM 

The  surface  soil  of  this  type  consists  of  a black,  or  very  dark 
brown  fine  sandy  loam  or  loam  which  contains  a large  amonnt 
of  organic  matter.  This  usually  extends  to  a depth  of  about  12 
inclaes  where  the  material  becomes  lighter  in  color,  and  usually 
heavier  in  texture.  At  about  18  inches  a drab,  gray  or  bluish 
silt  loam  or  loam  somewhat  gritty  is  found  and  this  continues 
to  from  2 to  3 feet  where  the  red  clay  typical  of  the  Superior 
series  is  usually  but  not  always  found.  The  lower  subsoil  is 
quite  variable  and  may  be  a sticky  sandy  loam  or  loam  of  a 
bluish  color.  In  a few  places  it  was  a fine  sand.  It  is  probable 
however  that  the  heavy  red  clay  occurs  beneath  all  of  this  soil, 
although  not  always  within  reach  of  the  soil  auger  used. 

This  soil  is  of  limited  extent.  It  is  found  chiefly  in  the  north- 
eastern quarter  of  the  county.  Several  small  tracts  occur  east 
and  west  of  Embarrass,  three  miles  north  of  Bear  Creek,  and 
about  three  miles  northwest  of  Clintonville. 

The  surface  is  level,  low  lying  and  the  natural  drainage  very 
poor.  It  is  found  associated  with  other  Poygan  soils,  and  with 
types  of  the  Superior  series.  It  frequently  occurs  bordering 
marshes. 


* See  page  66  for  chemical  composition  and' improvement  of  this  soil. 


66 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY. 


The  red  subsoil  has  the  same  origin  as  the  Superior  soils,  but 
it  is  probable  that  the  sandy  portion  of  the  material  may  have 
been  washed  in  from  the  higher  lying  lands  adjoining.  The 
dark  color  is  of  course  due  to  the  growth  and  decay  under  moist 
conditions  of  a rank  vegetation. 

The  native  timber  vegetation  consisted  of  elm,  ash,  willows, 
alder,  coarse  grasses  and  other  moisture  loving  vegetation. 

But  little  of  this  soil  is  cleared  and  cultivated  because  of  the 
poor  drainage  condition.  Most  of  it  is  devoted  to  pasture  or  to 
hay,  although  some  is  still  in  timber  and  is  not  utilized  at  all. 
When  thoroughly  drained  this  will  be  an  excellent  soil  for  farm- 
ing crops  and  also  for  numerous  trucking  crops,  where  other 
conditions  are  favorable  for  the  developmet  of  intensive  farm- 
ing operations. 

CHEMICAL  COMPOSITION  AND  FERTILITY  OF  POYGAN  CLAY  LOAM, 
SILT  LOAM,  AND  FINE  SANDY  LOAM 

These  types  of  soil  are  characterized  by  having  relatively  large 
amounts  of  organic  matter,  accumulated  as  a result  of  poor 
drainage.  The  supply  of  phosphorus  in  these  soils  is  usually 
fairly  high,  but  in  many  cases  it  is  not  readily  available.  Its 
availability  will  depend  largely  upon  the  rate  of  decomposition 
of  the  organic  matter.  The  total  amount  of  potassium  in  these 
soils  is  fair  in  all  and  large  in  some,  but  the  chief  question  here 
also  is  in  regard  to  its  availability. 

While  soils  well  supplied  with  vegetable  matter  as  these  usu- 
ally are,  do  not  need  special  treatment  with  reference  to  po- 
tassium and  phosphorus  immediately  after  reclamation,  they 
very  generally  do  show  a need  of  care  in  this  regard  within  a 
few  years,  and  patches  of  these  types  frequently  fail  to  produce 
satisfactory  crops  even  immediately  after  drainage  and  breaking 
unless  barnyard  manure  or  special  mineral  fertilizer  is  used. 

In  the  improvement  of  these  types  the  first  step  of  course  is 
drainage.  Both  open  ditches  and  tile  drains  can  be  installed 
to  advantage  in  the  reclamation  of  these  lands.  Plowing  fields 
in  narrow  strips  with  dead  furrows  from  2 to  4 rods  apart,  and 
having  these  lead  into  shallow  open  ditches  along  the  side  of  the 
field  will  greatly  assist  in  carrying  off  the  surface  water.  In 
order  to  make  the  internal  drainage  of  the  soil  complete,  how- 
ever, tile  drains  should  be  used  to  supplement  the  surface 
ditches. 


GROUP  OF  POORLY  DRAINED  SOILS. 


67 


With  thorough  drainage  these  soils  will  be  adapted  to  a wide 
range  of  general  farm  crops.  Special  crops  such  as  cabbage  and 
sugar  beets  are  well  suited  to  these  lands  when  drained. 

peat 

The  material  mapped  as  Peat  consists  of  decaying  vegetable 
matter  in  varying  stages  of  decomposition  with  which  there  has 
been  incorporated  a small  amount  of  mineral  matter.  Where 
raw  and  fibrous,  and  only  slightly  decomposed,  the  Peat  has  a 
brown  color,  but  where  more  completely  decayed  it  becomes 
darker  and  is  sometimes  black.  It  is  light  in  weight  as  com- 
pared with  other  soils,  and  is  loose  and  rather  spongy.  The 
surface  material  is  often  of  a lighter  brown  color  than  that 
found  at  a depth  of  2 feet  or  more.  This  is  usually  true  of  the 
timbered  marshes.  In  some  instances  the  more  thoroughly  de- 
composed material  occurs  at  the  surface  and  the  raw  fibrous 
peat  is  found  at  lower  depths.  This  appears  to  be  the  case  most 
frequently  where  marshes  were  originally  treeless. 

The  material  mapped  as  Peat  ranges  in  depth  from  18  inches 
to  over  3 feet.  Where  less  than  18  inches  it  has  been  classed 
as  shallow  peat  and  mapped  separately.  In  some  instances  the 
peat  is  known  to  be  over  10  feet  deep.  The  material  found  be- 
neath the  peat  is  variable.  Where  the  marshes  are  surrounded 
by  sandy  soils  the  peat  is  usually  underlain  by  sand,  and  where 
the  upland  bordering  the  marsh  is  heavy  the  material  under  the 
marsh  is  usually  also  heavy. 

Peat  is  an  extensive  soil  in  Waupaca  county  and  is  found  in 
practically  all  parts  of  the  county.  The  tracts  vary  in  size 
from  a few  acres  to  several  square  miles.  Of  the  most  extensive 
areas  may  be  mentioned  one  found  5 to  6 miles  southwest  from 
Clintonville,  one  7 to  8 miles  east  of  Manawa  and  another  im- 
mediately northeast  from  White  Lake.  East  of  Embarrass 
there  are  also  several  smaller  tracts.  Many  less  important  areas 
are  scattered  throughout  the  county.  The  line  between  the  Ken- 
nan  and  Superior  soils  is  frequently  marked  by  areas  of  Peat. 

The  surface  of  all  peat  areas  is  low,  level,  water  soaked,  and 
naturally  very  poorly  drained.  Before  farming  operations  can 
be  carried  on  the  Peat  must  be  reclaimed  by  some  system  of 
drainage.  A small  proportion  of  the  marsh  land  in  Waupaca 
County  has  been  drained  more  or  less  thoroughly  by  open 
ditches,  which  in  some  cases  have  been  supplemented  by  tile 
drains. 


68 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY. 


Probably  the  most  important  factor  in  determining  the  value 
of  marsh  land  will  be  the  crops  which  can  be  grown  upon  it. 
This  depends  upon  two  factors,  first  the  degree  of  drainage,  and 
second  the  danger  from  frosts.  When  only  the  main  outlet  and 
lateral  ditches  have  been  installed,  in  the  great  majority  of 
cases,  hay  crops  are  the  only  ones  which  can  be  safely  grown, 
and  the  character  of  the  hay  will  also  depend  a good  deal  on 
the  character  of  the  drainage.  In  the  case  of  peat  land  under- 
lain by  sand,  the  drainage  by  well  constructed  and  sufficiently 
deep  ditches  40  to  80  rods'  apart  will,  in  some  cases  give  ade- 
quate drainage  for  hay.  When  the  peat  is  underlain  by  silt 
or  clay,  however,  ditches  not  more  than  20  rods  apart  will  be 
necessary  ,and  these  must  lower  the  water  in  the  ditch  to  a 
point  4 or  5 feet  below  the  surface  during  part  of  the  grow- 
ing season.  When  tilLed  crops  are  grown,  such  as  corn,  cab- 
bage, or  potatoes,  or  small  grains  are  to  be  grown  the  drainage 
must  be  more  certain,  and  over  the  larger  proportion  of  the 
marsh  land  this  will  mean  the  installation  of  drainage  systems 
in  the  form  of  either  open  lateral  ditches  or  of  tile  not  more 
than  10  and  often  not  more  than  5 rods  apart  on  the  average. 
Tile  drainage  is  the  more  satisfactory.  The  cost  of  tile  drain- 
age will  vary  from  $40 — $80  per  acre  after  the  main  outlets 
have  been  put  in. 

It  is  well  known  that  frosts  frequently  occur  on  marsh  land 
when  there  is  no  frost  at  all  on  the  higher  land  adjoining. 
This  is  partly  because  the  cold  air  which  forms  on  the  surface 
of  all  the  ground  at  night  tends  to  flow  down  and  collect  in 
low  places,  but  it  is  also  the  result  of  the  fact  that  the  loose, 
spongy  soil  of  peat  marshes  does  not  conduct  the  heat  received 
from  the  sun  during  the  day  downward  to  so  great  an  extent 
as  do  upland  earthy  soils.  In  consequence  of  this,  the  lower 
layers  of  soil  do  not  become  warmed  in  peat  marshes  as  they  do 
in  other  earthy  soils  and  the  little  heat  left  in  the  surface  inch 
or  two  is  rapidly  lost  at  night  by  radiation,  so  that  he  freezing 
point  is  frequently  reached  on  such  soil  when  it  would  not  be 
on  more  earthy  soils  such  as  sandy  loam  or  clay  loams  which 
would  conduct  the  heat  downward  better  during  the  day,  and 
so  keep  warm  farther  into  the  night. 

This  difficulty  with  peat  marshes  can  be  overcome  to  a cer- 
tain extent  by  heavy  rolling  which,  by  compacting  the  soil,  per- 
mits the  heat  to  be  conducted  downward  more  readily.  It  will 
also  to  a certain  extent  become  less  in  time  as  the  peat  decom- 


GROUP  OF  POORLY  DRAINED  SOILS. 


69 


poses  and  takes  on  more  of  the  character  of  muck.  Neverthe- 
less, it  must  always  he  expected  that  marsh  land  will  be  more 
subject  to  the  late  spring  frosts  and  the  early  fall  frosts  than 
high  land.  It  may  be  stated  as  a general  guide  that  the  oc- 
currence of  killing  frosts  is  as  liable  on  marsh  land  at  any  given 
point  as  it  is  on  upland  soil  having  good  air  drainage  about 
150  miles  farther  north.  In  other  words  the  marshes  of  Dane 
County  are  as  liable  to  have  a frost  which  will  kill  corn  as 
early  as  are  the  upland  regions  of  Shawano,  Marathon  and 
Clark  Counties.  The  marsh  land  regions  of  Waupaca  County 
are  as  liable  to  have  frost  two  weeks  or  more  earlier  than  the 
hilltops  of  the  same  latitude.  This  means  that  corn  and  po- 
tatoes, while  safe  crops  for  the  upland  region,  are  not  safe  for 
the  marsh  land,  and  should  not  be  depended  on  as  the  chief 
marsh  land  crops. 

The  native  vegetation  on  the  Peat  marshes  consisted  chiefly 
of  coarse  marsh  grasses,  sedges,  and  sphagnum  moss  on  the  open 
marshes,  with  willow,  alder,  some  poplar,  and  tamrack  on  the 
timbered  tracts. 

By  far  the  greater  portion  of  the  Peat  is  still  in  its  wild 
state.  Some  tracts  have  been  cleared  and  are  being  utilized 
for  hay  and  pasture.  The  hay  is  made  from  the  coarse  marsh 
grasses  which  have  a considerable  lower  feeding  value  than  the 
tame  grasses.  Wire  grass  from  some  marches  is  marketed  for 
making  rugs  and  matting.  In  a few  instances  small  tracts  have 
been  reclaimed  and  are  being  used  for  cultivated  crops.  Part 
of  the  tract  north  from  Waupaca  is  used  for  growing  potatoes, 
cabbage,  celery,  onions  and  other  garden  truck.  It  is  well 
suited  to  these  crops.  There  is  no  reason  why  a larger  propor- 
tion of  the  Peat  lands  of  this  county  should  not  be  reclaimed 
and  utilized  for  these  and  other  cultivated  crops,  as  well  as  for 
hay  and  pasture. 

Peat . Shallow  Phase. — The  shallow  peat  is  not  nearly  so  ex- 
tensive as  the  deep  peat,  although  it  is  fairly  well  distributed 
throughout  the  area.  It  often  forms  the  border  between  the 
highland  and  areas  of  deep  peat,  but  some  tracts  are  made  up 
entirely  of  the  shallow  peat. 

The  only  difference  between  the  two  phases  is  that  the  shal- 
low peat  has  a depth  of  18  inches  or  less,  while  the  deep  peat 
has  a greater  depth — usually  over  three  feet.  Both  are  made 
up  of  the  same  material  and  have  the  same  origin.  As  with  the 
deep  peat  the  subsoil  is  variable,  and  conforms  quite  closely 


70 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY. 


with  the  character  of  the  adjoining  upland.  Where  heavy  soils 
border  the  marsh  the  underlying  material  is  usually  heavy,  but 
where  the  upland  is  sandy  the  subsoil  of  the  marsh  is  usually 
sandy  also.  There  is  probably  somewhat  more  mineral  matter 
mixed  with  the  shallow  peat,  than  with  the  deep  peat,  but  none 
of  the  material  could  be  classed  as  muck.  But  very  little  of  the 
shallow  peat  is  under  cultivation.  It  is  utilized  to  some  extent 
for  hay  and  pasture,  but  only  a few  small  areas  have  been  re- 
claimed for  cultivation. 

Chemical  composition  and  fertility. — In  the  improvement  of 
peat  lands  in  Waupaca  County  the  first  step,  of  course,  is  drain- 
age. With  the  exception  of  some  of  the  marshes  immediately 
along  the  Wolf  River  it  is  thought  that  much  of  the  peat  could 
be  readily  drained  and  successfully  cultivated.  Along  the  Wolf 
River  the  surface  of  the  peat  is  so  low  that  much  of  it  would 
require  diking,  or  a lowering  of  the  bed  of  the  river,  which 
would  Be  very  expensive,  and  hardly  justifiable  under  present 
conditions. 

The  chief  difference  between  peat  soils  and  upland  soils  con- 
sisting largely  of  earthy  matter,  is  that  they  have  relatively 
small  amounts  of  the  mineral  elements  phosphorus,  potassium, 
calcium,  and  magnesium,  and  have  extremely  high  amounts  of 
nitrogen  in  the  organic  matter.  The  average  per  cent  of  phos- 
phorus in  the  peats  of  this  region  so  far  analyzed  is  0.135  per 
cent.  This  means  that  in  an  acre  of  soil  to  a depth  of  a foot 
there  is  approximately  only  675  pounds,  or  in  two  feet  1,350 
pounds  in  comparison  with  upland  soils  which  have  approxi- 
mately twice  these  amounts.  Moreover,  the  acid  condition  of 
these  soils  renders  the  phosphorus  less  available  than  in  non- 
acid soil. 

The  deficiency  of  potassium  in  these  soils  is  greater  than  that 
of  phosphorus.  They  contain  on  the  average  0.3  per  cent  of 
this  element,  while  good  upland  clay  loam  soils  average  two  per 
cent,  or  over  six  times  as  much  expressed  in  percentage.  When 
the  greater  weight  of  the  upland  soils  is  taken  into  account  it 
will  be  found  that  they  contain  in  the  upper  two  feet  120,000 
pounds  per  acre,  while  the  peat  soils  contain  but  3,000  pounds. 

A large  amount  of  organic  matter  in  these  soils  gives  them  an 
extraordinary  amount  of  nitrogen.  They  average  2.5  per  cent 
of  this  element,  while  the  upland  silt  loam  soils  of  this  region 
contain  but  about  0.12  per  cent  and  this  only  in  the  surface 
eight  inches — the  amount  in  deeper  layers  being  much  less. 


GROUP  OF  POORLY  DRAINED  SOILS. 


71 


As  a result  of  this  difference  in  the  chemical  composition  the 
peat  soils  are  very  unbalanced.  Their  rational  treatment  re- 
quires the  use  of  fertilizers  containing  especially  the  elements 
phosphorus  and  potassium.  These  elements  are  contained  in 
relatively  small  amounts  in  barnyard  manure  and  good  appli- 
cations of  manure  will  secure  good  yields  of  crops  on  peat  soils, 
but  manure  contains  large  amounts  of  nitrogen  not  needed  by 
the  peat,  so  that  when  a farm  includes  upland  soils  as  well  as 
peat,  the  manure  should  be  used  on  the  upland  soils  and  com- 
mercial fertilizers  containing  phosphorus  and  potassium  used  on 
the  peat  land. 

On  the  deeper  peats  which  are  in  a very  raw  and  acid  condi- 
tion the  use  of  lime  in  some  form  in  addition  to  the  commercial 
fertilizers  will  probably  be  found  profitable.  Occasionally  a 
marsh  is  found  on  which  on  account  of  coldness  and  high  acid- 
ity at  first  nitrification  or  the  chemical  change  by  which  the 
nitrogen  in  the  organic  matter  becomes  available  to  crops  does 
not  take  place  readily  and  the  use  of  a light  application  of  com- 
posted stable  manure  to  inoculate  the  soil  with  the  proper  or- 
ganisms is  very  helpful. 

Crops  and  system  of  farming  on  marsh  lands. — Since  the 
growth  of  corn  and  potatoes  to  which  these  marsh  lands  would 
otherwise  be  adapted,  is  limited  in  this  section  on  account  of 
the  danger  from  frost,  the  best  staple  crops  for  this  land  are 
grasses  for  hay  and  pasture,  hardy  root  crops,  and  rye,  and  to  a 
less  extent  oats.  When  properly  fertilized  and  limed,  clover, 
alfalfa,  and  other  legumes  can  also  be  grown.  On  fairly  well 
drained  marsh  land  not  too  raw  good  pasture  can  also  be  devel- 
oped. The  compacting  of  the  soil  resulting  from  the  use  of  this 
land  as  pasture  is  also  a great  benefit  to  it.  When  peat  land  is 
placed  under  cultivation  a heavy  roller  should  be  classed  along 
with  implements  necessary  to  its  successful  management. 

On  account  of  the  crops  to  which  this  land  is  adapted  and  its 
use  as  a pasture,  marsh  lands  can  be  used  for  dairying  or  stock 
raising  to  good  advantage. 

Certain  special  crops,  such  as  cabbage,  onions,  buckwheat,  and 
rape,  are  well  adapted  to  such  lands  when  well  drained  and  fer- 
tilized.* 


* For  more  complete  discussion  of  the  management  of  marsh  soils  see 
bulletin  on  this  subject  by  the  Agricultural  Experiment  Station. 


72 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

GENERAL  AGRICULTURE  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY 

The  development  of  agriculture  in  this  region  was  preceded 
by  the  growth  of  the  logging  and  lumbering  industries.  The 
earliest  settlements  were  made  chiefly  in  the  sandy  portions  of 
the  county  as  the  forest  growth  here  was  largely  pine,  which  was 
the  only  timber  handled  by  the  early  lumberman. 

The  first  farming  operations  were  started  in  Waupaca  County 
in  1849  on  a bit  of  sandy  prairie  in  the  town  of  Lind.  The  first 
farms,  opened  after  the  advance  of  the  lumbermen,  were  small. 
While  farming  ventures  were  first  started  largely  on  the  sandy 
soils  following  the  cutting  of  the  pine,  the  highest  agricultural 
development  has  been  reached  in  those  sections  where  the  soils 
are  heavier.  The  earlier  and  more  primitive  types  of  farming 
have  gradually  developed  into  the  present  conditions  of  agri- 
culture. Farming  has  extended  into  practically  all  parts  of  the 
county  with  the  exception  of  some  areas  in  the  northwestern  part 
which  are  still  in  a cut-over  stage.  Even  through  this  section 
a number  of  farms  are  already  in  operation.  By  far  the  greater 
proportion  of  the  county  is  well  improved  agriculturally. 

While  practically  all  the  general  farm  crops  now  grown  were 
produced  in  the  early  history  of  the  county,  the  relative  impor- 
tance of  a number  of  the  crops  has  changed  to  a considerable  de- 
gree. In  1879,  wheat  occupied  21,731  acres,  which  was  more 
than  twice  the  area  devoted  to  oats,  and  nearly  twice  as  much 
as  was  devoted  to  corn.  In  1909  the  total  area  devoted  to  wheat 
was  only  1150  acres,  while  there  were  38,860  acres  devoted  to 
oats  and  19,948  to  corn.  The  acreage  devoted  to  hay,  corn  and 
potatoes  has  steadily  increased  since  the  early  history  of  the 
county.  The  acreage  devoted  to  rye  and  barley  has  changed 
less  than  that  devoted  to  the  other  general  farm  crops.  The 
development  of  the  potato  growing  industry  has  been  marked. 
In  1879,  there  was  a total  production  of  250,307  bushels,  while 
in  1909  the  yield  amounted  to  2,392,213  bushels.  In  1919  the 
yield  was  1,907,046  bu.  an  average  of  106  bu.  per  acre. 

* Figures  given  for  1919  are  from  reports  of  asses'ors. 


GENERAL  AGRICULTURE  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY. 


73 


The  type  of  farming  which  is  followed  most  extensively  in 
Waupaca  County  is  based  upon  the  dairy  industry.  In  the 
southwestern  and  western  parts  of  the  county,  potato  raising  is 
the  leading  industry  in  connection  with  dairying.  In  the  east- 
ern part,  in  the  region  of  Superior  soils,  much  less  attention  is 
paid  to  potato  growing,  and  dairying  is  the  leading  industry. 
In  the  region  of  these  heavier  soils  there  are  a number  of  farms 
upon  which  not  enough  potatoes  are  grown  to  supply  the  home 
table.  On  these  heavier  soils  grain  raising  receives  more  at- 
tention than  elsewhere. 

Practically  all  of  the  crops  grown  at  present  may  be  consid- 
ered in  part  as  cash  crops,  for  hay,  corn,  oats,  rye  and  barley 
are  sold  to  some  extent  directly  from  the  farm.  Potatoes  are 
grown  mainly  for  sale,  although  they  are  one  of  the  most  impor- 
tant subsistence  crops.  The  greater  part  of  the  hay,  corn,  oats 
and  barley  is  used  in  feeding  life-stock,  and  a large  proportion 
of  it  finally  reaches  the  market  in  the  form  of  dairy  products, 
beef  and  pork. 

Hay  is  grown  more  extensively  than  any  other  crop.  In  1909 
the  census  reports  58,286  acres  in  all  hay  crops  with  a produc- 
tion of  slightly  over  98,000  tons.  Of  the  hay  crops  grown,  by 
far  the  greater  proportion  consists  of  timothy  and  clover  mixed. 
A small  amount  of  timothy  is  grown  alone  and  also  a small 
amount  of  clover.  There  are  approximately  9,500  acres  from 
which  marsh  hay  is  cut,  and  the  balance  of  the  hay  crop  is  made 
up  of  alfalfa,  millet,  grain  which  is  cut  for  hay,  and  coarse  for- 
age crops.  The  best  hay  crops  are  produced  on  the  heavier  type 
of  the  Superior,  Kennan  and  Antigo  series.  As  many  of  the 
soils  in  the  western  part  of  the  county  are  somewhat  acid,  alsike 
clover  is  sometimes  grown  in  place  of  red  clover.  Red  clover 
does  well  on  land  whose  productiveness  has  been  kept  up,  and 
succeeds  on  new  land  in  spite  of  the  acidity;  but  on  run  down 
fields  which  are  acid,  it  is  frequently  difficult  to  get  a good 
stand  of  clover.  In  1919  there  were  1248  acres  of  alfalfa  in 
the  county. 

In  1909,  the  acreage  devoted  to  oats  was  38,860  acres  which 
produced  a total  yield  of  1,153,059  bushels.  This  crop  does  best 
on  the  fine  sandy  loams,  loams  and  silt  loam  soils.  Where  it  is 
raised  on  the  extremely  sandy  soils  in  the  southwestern  part  of 
the  county,  results  are  usually  unsatisfactory.  In  1919  the  aver- 
age was  40,781. 


74 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY. 


In  1909,  corn  was  grown  on  19,948  acres,  and  the  total  yield 
was  602,144  bushels.  This  crop  is  not  grown  as  extensively  as 
in  counties  to  the  south  as  the  climate  does  not  always  permit 
the  crop  to  mature.  In  1919  there  were  32413  acres  in  corn, 
about  67  percent  was  used  for  silage  and  the  remainder  was 
harvested  for  grain. 

The  potato  crop  is  one  of  the  most  important,  especially  in 
the  southwestern  quarter  of  the  county  where  sandy  soils  pre- 
dominate. In  1909,  the  acreage  amounted  to  19,810  acres  and 
the  total  yield  2,392,213  bushels.  While  the  greater  proportion 
of  the  crop  is  grown  in  the  extremely  sandy  sections,  the  best 
yields  are  obtained  where  there  is  a sufficient  • amount  of  clay 
in  the  soil  to  make  it  somewhat  loamy.  In  1919  the  acreage  was 
1,907,046. 

A large  part  of  the  potatoes  if  not  immediately  sold  from 
the  field  are  stored  in  dealer’s  warehouses  or  in  cooperative 
warehouses  until  finally  put  on  the  market.  Dealers  usually 
charge  3c  a bushel  for  storage,  including  insurance,  between 
October  1 and  January  1,  and  lc  a month  or  fraction  per  bushel 
for  each  succeeding  month.  Many  farmers  have  storage  cellars 
for  potatoes,  but  do  not  always  use  them  on  account  of  the  diffi- 
culty in  handling  the  potatoes  during  extremely  cold  weather. 
The  variety  most  extensively  grown  is  the  Rural  New  Yorker. 
Among  other  varieties  grown  are  Cobbler,  Triumph  and  He- 
bron. There  is  a gradually  increasing  number  of  potato  grow- 
ers who  are  co-operating  with  the  State  Experiment  Station  in 
the  production  of  standard  varieties.  Many  of  these  farmers 
are  treating  their  seed  according  to  instructions  given  by  the 
College,  are  having  their  fields  inspected  bj^  representatives  of 
the  Experiment  Station,  and  are  producing  high  grade,  certified 
seed.  The  question  of  co-operating  in  storing  and  marketing 
the  potato  is  also  receiving  considerable  attention. 

Rye  was  grown  on  8,204  acres  in  1909,  and  the  total  yield  for 
that  year  amounted  to  109,381  bushels.  This  crop  is  grown 
most  extensively  on  sandy  soils,  and  gives  better  results  on  the 
extremely  sandy  types  than  any  of  the  other  small  grain  crops. 
In  1919  there  were  13,462  acres  in  rye  and  the  average  yield 
was  15  bu. 

During  1909,  barley  was  raised  on  5,734  acres,  and  produced 
a total  yield  of  145,890  bushels.  In  1919  there  were  4,597  acres 
in  barley.  Its  production  is  fairly  well  distributed  over  the 
county. 


GENERAL  AGRICULTURE  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY.  75 

There  was  a gradual  reduction  in  the  growing  of  wheat  from 
1880  until  1910  when  only  1,150  acres  were  devoted  to  this  crop. 
Average  yields  during  this  year  amount  to  about  20  bushels  per 
acre.  Owing  to  the  great  demand  for  wheat  at  the  present  time, 
there  has  been  an  increased  acreage  devoted  to  wheat  production, 
though  it  is  still  very  small  as  compared  with  the  acreage  of  30 
years  ago.  In  1919  there  were  1225  acres  of  winter  wheat  and 
2315  acres  of  spring  wheat  in  the  county.  The  heavy  types 
of  Superior,  Kennan,  and  Antigo  series  are  well  adapted  to 
the  growing  of  this  crop. 

The  following  table  shows  the  acreage  and  production  of  the 
principal  crops  in  the  last  four  census  years  : 


Crop 

1879 

1889 

1899 

1909 

Acres 

Bushels 

Acres 

Bushels 

Acres 

Bushels 

Acres 

i Bushels! 

Hay 

26,995 

26,898T 

37,867 

44, 368 T 

43,212 

66, 299T 

58,286 

98,771T 

Oats 

9,897 

272,947 

22,963 

846,531 

34,634 

1,186,360 

38,860 

1,153,059 

Corn 

11,055 

300,122 

12,709 

435,031 

16,075 

I 

491,559 

19,948 

602,144 

Patatoes 

250,307 

11,127 

1,261,920 

17/498 

1,572,554 

19,810 

2,392,213 

Rye 

5,904 

69,933 

7,330 

112,069 

11,343 

167,280 

8,204  ; 

109,381 

Barley . . 

1,724 

32,128 

1,056 

30,731 

2,414 

62,330 

5,734 

145,890 

Wheat. . . 

21,731 

252.925 

12,564 

212,889 

12,160 

240,400 

1,150 

21,955 

Tt  will  be  noted  from  the  foregoing  that  the  most  recent  sta- 
tistical data  quoted  is  from  the  U.  S.  Census  taken  in  1909.  In 
order  that  the  progress  since  that  time  may  be  studied  there  is 
given  below  more  recent  figures  collected  by  the  Cooperative 
Crop  Reporting  Service  for  Wisconsin. 

The  following  table  has  been  compiled  by  the  Cooperative 
Crop  Reporting  Service  For  Wisconsin,  and  appears  in  Bulletin 
No.  28  of  the  State  Department  of  Agriculture: 


76 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY. 


ANNUAL  REPORT  ON  CROP  AND  LIVESTOCK  PRODUCTION  FOR  WAUPACA 
COUNTY,  WISCONSIN 


No,  of  farms 

Acreage  in  22  cultivated  crops  including  tame  hay. 

Value  16  principal  crops 

Corn,  all  acreage 

Production— bushels 

Corn  for  grain,  acreage 

Production— bushels 

Corn  for  silage,  acreage  ...  

Prod  uction— tons 

Silos,  number 

Oats— acreage 

Production— bushels 

Winter  wheat,  acreage 

Production— busnels 

Spring  wheat,  acreage 

Production— bushels 

Barley— acreage 

Production— bushels 

Buckwheat,  acreage 

Production— bushels 

Rye,  acreage 

Production— bushels 

Dry  beans,  acreage 

Production— bushels 

Dry  peas,  acreage 

Production 

Clover  and  timothy,  acreage 

P rod  uction— tons 

Alfalfa,  acreage 

Production— tons 

Other  tame  hay,  acreage 

Production— tons 

Wild  hay,  acreage 

Production— tons 

Potatoes,  acreage 

Production— bushels 

Cabbage,  acreage 

Production— tons 

Sugar  beets,  acreage 

Peas  for  canning,  acreage 

Other  root  crops,  acreage 

Flax,  acreage 


1919 

1918 

1909 

3,613 

3,417 

158,700 

156,593 

139,078 

17,407,488 

16,077,189 

32,740 

31,812 

19,948 

1,440,560 

1,145,232 

10,477 

10,498 

481,942 

388,426 

21,936 

20,996 

216,586 

188,964 

2,398 

2,039 

39,781 

40,108 

38,860 

1,074,087 

1,604,320 

1,225 

686 

844 

20,825 

14,406 

2,315 

2,487 

306 

23.150 

54,714 

4,497 

5, 066 

5,734 

94,437 

172,210 

481 

620 

373 

7,215 

8,680 

13,462 

11,586 

8,204 

201,930 

208,548 

97 

249 

115 

970 

3,237 

119 

136 

191 

1,547 

1,768 

47,777 

44,549 

44,017 

71,643 

44,549 

520 

201 

78 

1,248 

482 

357 

482 

387 

536 

578 

8,360 

9,085 

9,566 

9,196 

10,902 

17,991 

18,145 

1,907,046 

2,104,820 

94 

45 

30 

705 

360 

88 

187 

102 

23 

45 

97 

11 

10 

6 

GENERAL  AGRICULTURE  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY. 


77 


January, 

1920 

January, 

1919 

April, 

1910 

Horses  and  mules,  number 

12,379 

12,301 

11,482 

Milk  cows,  number 

33,578 

32,995 

31,152 

Other  cattle,  number 

26,762 

26,005 

20,384 

Sheep,  number 

5,656 

5.160 

7,246 

Swine,  number 

27,045 

28,658 

23,672 

Milk  produced,  cwt 

1.665,462 

Of  the  special  crops  cucumbers  are  grown  to  some  extent 
mostly  on  the  sandy  soils.  Salting  stations  are  located  at  sev- 
eral of  the  towns  within  the  county.  In  a few  localities  in  the 
eastern  part  of  the  area  sugar  beets  are  grown.  Most  of  these 
are  shipped  to  the  beet  sugar  factory  at  Menomonie.  Cabbage 
is  another  crop  of  some  importance,  though  it  is  not  raised  as 
extensively  in  this  county  as  in  Outagamie  County  to  the  east. 
Minor  crops  used  in  supplementary  feeding  are  mangels,  rape, 
peas,  turnips  and  so  forth.  To  supply  the  home  needs  there  is 
grown  the  usual  line  of  garden  produce.  Strawberries  are 
raised  to  a limited  extent,  as  are  also  raspberries,  currants  and 
other  bush  berries.  The  trucking  industry,  however,  is  not  de- 
veloped on  a commercial  scale  in  this  region.  Fruit  growing 
receives  but  little  attention  in  Waupaca  County.  Apples  are 
grown  more  extensively  than  any  other  fruit,  and  most  of  the 
farms  have1  a small  home  orchard,  but  apples  are  not  raised  on 
a commercial  basis.  The  census  of  1910  indicates  that  there  are 
something  over  60,000  apple  trees  in  the  county.  Apples  Mo 
best  in  those  sections  of  the  county  where  the  surface  is  more 
or  less  rolling.  The  heavy  level  areas  of  soil,  for  example,  are 
not  well  adapted  to  fruit,  owing  to  the  poor  drainage  condi- 
tions prevailing. 

The  raising  of  live  stock  is  an  important  industry.  In  1909 
there  were  51,536  cattle  in  the  county,  of  which  31,152  were 
milch  cows.  During  the  same  year  the  census  reports  indicate 
there  were  23,672  hogs  and  10,457  sheep.  During  that  year 
there  were  18,107  calves  sold  or  slaughtered,  and  over  26,000 
head  of  hogs  were  sold  from  the  farms  in  the  area.  Hogs  are 
raised  chiefly  in  conjunction  with  dairying  and  general  farming, 
though  hog  raising  is  not  as  well  developed  in  this  county  as  in 
sections  where  corn  is  more  certain  to  mature. 


78 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY. 


Sheep  are  raised  on  a few  farms  and  are  confined  most  largely 
to  the  rougher  portions  of  the  area,  though  some  are  found  in 
nearly  all  parts  of  the  county. 

The  dairying  industry  is  one  of  the  most  important  in  the 
county.  The  dairy  products  sold  during  1909  amounted  to 
$1,202,611,  exclusive  of  home  use.  Of  the  dairy  stock,  cattle 
of  Holstein  breeding  are  most  numerous  with  Guernseys  second 
in  importance.  There  are  a few  herds  of  Jerseys  and  also  a 
few  Short  Horns.  There  are  quite  a number  of  pure  bred  herds 
of  registered  stock  in  the  county,  though  the  greater  propor- 
tion of  the  herds  are  being  built  up  from  grade  stock.  There 
are  several  cow  testing  associations  within  the  area,  and  as  a 
result  of  the  work  being  done  along  this  line  the  cows  of  poor 
production  are  being  gradually  weeded  out.  The  milk  is  manu- 
factured into  butter  and  cheese  and  a considerable  amount  is 
taken  to  the  condenseries  located  at  Manawa  and  New  London. 
The  total  amount  of  milk  is  fairly  evenly  distributed  through 
these  three  channels.  Creameries  are  located  in  most  of  the 
princpal  towns,  and  at  some  neighborhood  centers.  One  of  the 
most  modern  and  up-to-date  creameries  is  located  at  Iola. 
Cheese  factories  are  most  common  in  the  southeastern  and  north- 
western parts  of  the  county.  Most  of  the  milk  in  the  eastern 
and  east-central  part  is  disposed  of  to  the  condenseries.  A large 
proportion  of  the  cheese  factories  and  creameries  are  run  on 
the  co-operative  basis.  On  Jan.  1,  1920  there  were  33,578  cows 
on  the  farms  in  Waupaca  County.  During  1919  the  amount  of 
milk  produced  was  1,665,462  cwt.  and  this  has  a value  of  $4,- 
879,804.  In  1918  there  were  53  cheese  factories  and  31  cream- 
eries in  the  county. 

Farmers  generally  recognize  the  importance  of  the  adapta- 
tion of  crops  to  certain  soils.  It  is  generally  recognized,  for 
example,  that  rye  will  do  better  on  the  sandier  type  of  soil  than 
will  any  of  the  other  small  grain  crops.  It  is  generally  consid- 
ered also  that  potatoes  can  be  grown  more  profitably  upon 
soils  of  a sandy  nature  than  on  heavy  types.  In  this  region, 
where  the  season  is  somewhat  short,  corn  is  more  certain  to  ma- 
ture on  the  light  sandy  soils  than  on  the  heavy  clay  areas,  be- 
cause the  sandy  soils  warm  up  more  quickly  in  the  spring. 
The  sandy  types,  however,  are  not  so  well  adapted  to  hay  crops, 
and  to  oats  and  barley,  as  are  the  heavier  soils.  The  general 
methods  of  farming  followed  are  about  the  same  as  those  prac- 
ticed throughout  the  general  farming  and  dairying  districts  of 


GENERAL  AGRICULTURE  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY. 


79 


Wisconsin.  The  silo  is  in  quite  common  use  on  dairy  farms  and 
a considerable  part  of  the  corn  crop  is  handled  as  ensilage. 
Usually  sufficient  means  are  taken  to  prepare  the  land  for  all 
crops.  Plowing  is  usually  to  a depth  of  6 or  8 inches,  and  on 
the  heavier  soils  much  of  the  plowing  is  done  in  the  Fall.  Disk 
harrows  are  frequently  used  for  pulverizing  the  soil.  On  some 
of  the  sandier  types  rye  is  often  sown  without  the  land  being 
plowed.  In  such  cases  the  seed  is  harrowed  or  drilled  in  fol- 
lowing the  removal  of  the  previous  crop,  and  in  the  case  of  corn 
it  is  frequently  sown  before  ’the  shocks  are  removed.  Where 
potatoes  are  grown,  modern  machinery  is  in  common  use,  and 
where  the  acreage  justifies  their  purchase  most  farms  are  sup- 
plied with  horse-drawn  planters,  diggers  and  spraying  outfits. 
In  all  lines  of  farming  modern  machinery  is  in  common  use  on 
most  of  the  farms. 

Throughout  most  of  the  area  the  farms  are  equipped  with 
substantial,  well-built  and  attractive  buildings.  This  is  especi- 
ally noticeable  in  the  eastern  half  of  the  county.  Practically 
every  dairy  farm  has  a silo.  Many  of  these  are  made  of 
wooden  staves,  but  recently  a large  number  have  been  con- 
structed by  the  use  of  concrete.  A number  of  the  dairy  farms 
are  now  equipped  with  power  milking  machines.  Improved  im- 
plements, such  as  manure  spreaders,  seeding  and  harvesting  ma- 
chinery, are  in  common  use.  Farm  tractors  are  being  intro- 
duced in  a few  places  in  an  experimental  way. 

A rotation  quite  commonly  followed  on  the  sandy  soils  con- 
sists of  small  grain,  followed  by  clover,  and  this  by  potatoes. 
The  second  crop  of  clover  in  some  instances  is  plowed  under 
as  a green  manuring  crop,  though  this  practice  is  not  general. 
On  the  extremely  sandy  types  it  is  desirable  to  arrange  a system 
so  that  the  ground  may  be  covered  as  much  of  the  time  as  pos- 
sible to  prevent  drifting,  which  sometimes  causes  damage  to 
growing  crops.  On  the  heavier  soils  the  usual  rotation  is  some- 
what different  from  those  on  the  sandy  types.  Here  corn  more 
frequently  takes  the  place  of  potatoes,  and  the  land  is  usually 
left  in  grass  for  hay  for  two  years,  and  frequently  is  pastured 
for  one  year  before  again  being  plowed.  On  neither  the  sandy 
or  heavy  types  has  the  question  of  crop  rotation  been  given  the 
careful  consideration  which  it  deserves. 

Stable  manure  is  the  most  common  fertilizer  used,  a second 
crop  of  clover  is  frequently  plowed  under  as  a green  manuring 
crop,  and  sometimes  rye  is  plowed  under.  The  practice  of  green 


80 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY. 


manuring,  however,  is  not  at  all  common.  Commercial  fertiliz- 
ers are  being  used  in  a few  cases,  chiefly  in  an  experimental  way 
and  mostly  on  the  potato  crop.  It  is  certain  that  the  use  of  com- 
mercial fertilizers  will  gradually  increase  since  the  results  ob- 
tained on  the  potato  crop  in  this  and  other  counties  are  very 
gratifying.  In  the  vicinity  of  Weyauwega  on  a sandy  loam  soil, 
unfertilized,  the  yield  of  potatoes  was  85  bushels  to  the  acre. 
On  the  same  soil  where  14  spreader  loads'  of  manure  were  used, 
supplemented  with  500  pounds  of  a complete  commercial  fertil- 
izer, the  yield  amounted  to  350.  bushels  to  the  acre.  Experi- 
ments which  have  thus  far  been  conducted  indicate  that  the  best 
results  with  the  commercial  fertilizers  are  secured  on  soils  which 
are  in  a fairly  good  state  of  fertility. 

The  question  of  securing  competent  farm  labor  is  often  some- 
what difficult.  In  many  cases,  however,  especially  where  the 
farms  are  small,  the  members  of  the  family  are  able  to  do  prac- 
tically all  of  the  farm  work — extra  labor  being  needed  only  at 
the  time  of  haying  and  harvesting. 

Farms  usually  range  in  size  from  40  to  160  acres,  although 
there  are  a number  of  holdings  of  200  acres  or  more.  On  many 
of  the  larger  farms  there  is  a considerable  amount  of  unim- 
proved land.  The  average  size  of  all  farms  in  the  county,  ac- 
cording to  the  1910  census,  was  110  acres.  In  1910  there  were 
3,794  farms  in  the  county  and  in  1920  there  were  3,770  farms. 

The  last  census  reports  that  90.1%  of  all  farms  in  the  county 
were  operated  by  the  owner.  Most  of  the  rented  land  is  in  the 
poorer  sandy  sections.  Rent  is  usually  on  the  share  basis,  the 
tenant  furnishing  equipment  and  half  of  the  stock  and  seed  and 
receiving  one-half  of  the  farm  produce.  While  the  share  sys- 
tem is  most  common,  there  are  a number  of  variations  in  this 
system. 

The  value  of  lands  has  been  steadily  increasing  in  this  county. 
The  better  improved  farms  sell  from  $100  to  $1 50  per  acre  where 
well  located.  Cut-over  lands,  mostly  in  the  northwestern  part 
of  the  county,  have  a selling  value  from  $15  to  $35  per  acre. 
The  farms  in  the  sandy  region  where  the  fertility  of  the  soil 
is  sometimes  low  and  the  improvements  rather  inferior  have  a 
value  of  around  $40  per  acre,  though  this  of  course  is  extremely 
variable  depending  upon  a number  of  factors. 


CLIMATE. 


81 


CLIMATE 


The  climatic  conditions  in  Waupaca  County  are  fairy  repre- 
sentative of  a considerable  area  in  the  central  part  of  Wiscon- 
sin. While  the  topographic  features  of  the  county  are  not  uni- 
form for  all  sections,  there  is  probably  not  a great  variation  in 
liability  to  frost  in  various  parts  of  the  county  except  over  the 
marsh  areas.  As  none  of  the  large  marshy  tracts  have  been 
reclaimed,  the  question  of  liability  of  frosts  on  these  marshes 
at  times  when  the  frost  would  not  affect  the  upland  is  not  of 
great  importance  at  the  present  time.  As  the  marsh  areas  are 
reclaimed  here,  it  will  doubtless  be  found  to  be  true  in  this 
region,  as  in  other  sections  of  the  state,  that  frost  in  the  marsh 
land  will  occur  about  the  same  time  as  frost  in  the  upland  will 
occur  at  a point  one  hundred  miles  farther  north. 

The  table  given  below  contains  climatic  data  gathered  by  the 
Weather  Bureau  Station  located  at  Waupaca.  This  station  has 
an  elevation  of  about  870  feet  above  sea  level. 

The  following  table  shows  the  normal  monthly  and  annual 
temperature  and  precipitation  at  Waupaca: 


NORMAL  MONTHLY  AND  ANNUAL  TEMPERATURE  AND  PRECIPITATION 


January. . . 
February. . 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August . . . . 
September. 
October.. . . 
November. 
December. 
Annual 


Mean 

tempera- 

ture 

Highest 

tempera- 

ture 

Lowest 

tempera- 

ture 

Mean 

precipi- 

tation 

16.2 

51 

-32 

1.01 

15.5 

53 

—38 

0,93 

29.0 

72 

-16 

2.08 

44.1 

86 

7 

2.66 

56.4 

91 

20 

4.14 

65.3 

102 

30 

4.42 

70.7 

100 

42 

3.48 

68.1 

96 

36 

3.41 

60.9 

95 

18 

3.25 

48.2 

85 

11 

2.29 

33.6 

68 

-13 

1.71 

19.5 

50 

—24 

1.28 

44.0° 

102 

-38 

30.66 

6 — W.  O. 


82 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY. 


From  the  above  table  it  will  be  noted  that  the  average  rain- 
fall for  the  year  amounts  to  nearly  31  inches.  A large  propor- 
tion of  this  occurs  during  the  growing  months  when  most 
needed,  but  occasionally,  especially  in  July  and  August,  crops 
may  suffer  somewhat  from  the  lack  of  moisture.  Storms  of  a 
destructive  nature  are  very  rare.  The  climate  of  the  region  is 
healthful  and  well  suited  to  a high  development  of  agriculture. 
While  the  winters  are  long  and  rather  severe,  the  temperatures 
are  much  more  uniform  than  farther  south.  The  average  snow- 
fall amounts  to  about  40  inches.  The  summers  are  very  pleasant 
and  farm  crops  make  rapid  growth. 

The  average  date  of  the  last  killing  frost  in  the  spring,  as 
recorded  at  Waupaca,  is  May  22,  and  the  average  date  of  the 
first  killing  frost  in  the  fall  is  September  28.  This  gives  an 
average  growing  season  of  137  days  free  from  killing  frosts. 
The  average  season  is  therefore  sufficiently  long  to  permit  the 
maturing  of  corn.  However,  early  fall  frosts  frequently  occur 
which  damage  the  crop,  as  was  the  case  in  1917,  when  but  little 
corn  matured  in  Wisconsin.  Corn  will  always  mature  suffi- 
ciently, however,  for  silage,  and  a large  proportion  of  the  crop 
is  disposed  of  in  this  way. 

Excellent  water  for  household  purposes  and  for  stock  can  be 
readily  secured  in  all  parts  of  the  county.  There  are  many  flow- 
ing wells  in  the  eastern  half  of  the  county.  In  the  southwestern 
part  of  the  area  there  are  a number  of  lakes  known  as  the  Wau- 
paca chain  of  lakes  which  attract  many  tourists  during  the  sum- 
mer season. 


SUMMARY. 


83 


SUMMARY 

Portage  Comity  is  situated  a little  to  the  east  of  the  center 
of  the  state.  It  comprises  an  area  of  759  square  miles  or  485,- 
760  acres.  The  surface  features  vary  from  level  to  rolling  to 
hilly,  with  the  major  part  of  the  county  gently  rolling.  Eleva- 
tions along  railroads  range  from  767  to  930  feet  aobve  sea  level. 
All  of  the  county  lies  within  the  drainage  basin  of  the  Wolf 
River.  The  Embarrass,  Waupaca,  and  Little  Wolf  are  tribu- 
taries of  the  Wolf'  River  which  traverse  portions  of  the  area 
surveyed. 

The  first  settler  came  to  Waupaca  County  in  1843,  and  settled 
at  the  present  site  of  Fremont.  The  county  was  organized  in 
1851.  In  1910  the  population  of  the  county  was  32,782  of  which 
83.7%  was  classed  as  rural.  This  is  a well  established  region, 
and  population  is  fairly  well  distributed  throughout  the  county. 
The  largest  tracts  of  unimproved  land  are  in  the  northwestern 
part  of  the  county. 

This  country  is  traversed  by  the  main  line  of  the  Green  Bay 
& Western  Railroad,  the  Soo  Line,  and  the  eastern  side  of  the 
area  is  skirted  by  the  Chicago  & Northwestern  Railway. 

The  mean  annual  rainfall  is  approximately  31  inches,  and  the 
mean  annual  temperature  43.9  degrees.  The  winters  are  long 
severe  with  a snow  fall  of  about  40  inches,  but  the  summers  are 
warm  and  all  crops  make  rapid  growth.  There  is  an  average 
growing  season  of  127  free  from  killing  frosts. 

The  agriculture  of  the  county  shows  all  stages  of  development. 
The  southwestern  portion  of  the  area  has  considerable  sandy  soil 
some  of  which  has  a low  value  for  farming  purposes.  There  are 
also  some  sandy  spots  in  other  parts  of  the  county  but  not  of 
such  great  extent.  There  are  many  highly  improved  farms 
within  the  area,  and  this  is  one  of  the  leading  potato  growing 
districts  of  the  state. 

The  principal  crops  grown  are  hay,  oats,  potatoes,  corn,  rye, 
barley,  some  wheat  and  buckwheat.  General  farming  is  the  pre- 
vailing type  of  agriculture,  with  dairying  and  potato  growing 
as  the  most  important  interests.  The  average  size  of  farms  is 
110  acres  and  approximately  90%  of  the  farms  are  operated  by 
their  owner. 


84 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  WAUPACA  COUNTY. 


The  soils  of  this  county  are  variable  and  range  in  texture 
from  sand  to  clay.  There  are  numerous  areas  of  marshland  but 
little  of  which  has  been  reclaimed  to  date.  The  material  form- 
ing the  soils  has  been  derived  largely  through  glacial  action 
from  crystalline  and  sandstone  rocks.  The  underlying  rock  in 
the  western  half  of  the  county  is  largely  crystalline,  while  the 
eastern  half  is  chiefly  sandstone.  There  is  also  considerable 
lacustrine  material  in  the  county,  but  since  its  deposition  by 
water  it  has  been  influenced  by  glacial  action.  In  the  low,  un- 
drained places  there  are  large  accumulations  of  organic  matter 
making  up  the  peat  marshes. 

In  the  classification  of  the  soils  of  this  county  these  various 
materials  have  been  separated  into  10  soil  series  and  24  types, 
not  including  peat.  In  several  instances  phases  of  types  have 
also  been  recognized.  Each  soil  has  peculiar  characteristics  by 
which  it  can  be  recognized,  and  the  full  understanding  of  these 
characteristics  are  necessary  in  the  selection  of  crops  and  sys- 
tems of  farming  best  suited  to  each  soil. 


KEEP  THE  MAP 

The  Experiment  Station  will  publish  bulletins  from  time  to 
time  dealing  with  the  management  of  the  different  types  mapped, 
so  that  some  way  should  be  found  by  each  person  receiving  a 
copy  of  this  report  to  keep  the  map  permanently.  If  the  map 
is  folded  in  such  a way  as  to  have  the  part  you  are  interested 
in  of  a convenient  size,  and  then  have  a simple  frame  with  glass 
made  to  hold  it,  it  can  be  kept  indefinitely.  Since  some  of  the 
colors  fade  after  being  exposed  to  strong  light  for  a long  time, 
it  would  be  a good  plan  to  have  a protecting  flap  of  dark  cloth 
over  the  map  when  not  in  use. 


WISCONSIN  GEOLOGICAL  AND  NATURAL  HISTORY  SURVEY 


W.  O.  Hotchkiss,  Director  and  State  Geologist. 

A.  R.  Whitson,  in  Charge,  Division  of  Soils. 

SOIL  SURVEY  IN  COOPERATION  WITH  THE  COLLEGE  OF 
AGRICULTURE 
H.  L.  Russell,  Dean. 


BULLETIN  NO.  54D  SOIL  SERIES  NO,  26 


SOIL  SURVEY 

OF 

OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY 

WISCONSIN 


BY 

A.  R.  WHITSON,  W.  J.  GEIB,  MARTIN  O.  TOSTERUD,  MARION  C. 
FORD  AND  E.  J.  GRAUL 

OP  THE 

Wisconsin  Geological  and  Natural  History  Survey 

AND 

HORACE  V.  GEIB 

OF  THE 

United  States  Department  of  Agriculture 


SURVEY  CONDUCTED  IN  COOPERATION  WITH  THE  UNITED  STATES 
DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE,  BUREAU  OF  SOILS, 
MILTON  WHITNEY,  CHIEF 
CURTIS  F.  MARBUT,  IN  CHARGE  SOIL  SURVEY 


Madison,  Wisconsin 
Published  by  the  State 
1921 


Geological  and  Natural  History  Survey 


BOARD  OF  COMMISSIONERS 

John  J.  Blaine, 

Governor  of  the  State. 

Edward  A.  Birge,  President. 

President  of  the  University  of  Wisconsin. 

President  of  the  Wisconsin  Academy  of  Sciences,  Arts,  and 
and  Letters. 

John  Callahan,  Vice-President. 

State  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction. 


STAFF  OF  THE  SURVEY 

ADMINISTRATION: 

William  O.  Hotchkiss,  State  Geologist,  Director  and  Superintendent. 

In  immediate  charge  of  Geology  Division. 

Ernest  F.  Bean,  Assistant  State  Geologist. 

Lillian  M.  Veerhusen,  Chief  Clerk. 

Frances  Walker,  Clerk  and  Stenographer. 

Angeline  Doll,  Clerk. 

GEOLOGY  DIVISION: 

William  O.  Hotchkiss,  In  charge. 

Ernest  F.  Bean,  Geologist,  Mineral  Land  Classification. 

Thomas  C.  Chamberlin,  Consulting  Geologist*  Pleistocene  Geology. 
Edward  O.  Ulrich,  Consulting  Geologist,  Stratigraphy,  by  coopera- 
tion of  the  U.  S.  G.  S. 

Henry  R.  Aldrich,  Geologist. 

Ray  Hughes  Whitbeck,  Geographer. 

Edward  Steidtmann,  Geologist,  Limestones. 

Fredrik  T.  Thwaites,  Well  Records,  Educational  Rock  Collection. 

NATURAL  HISTORY  DIVISION: 

Edward  A.  Birge,  In  charge. 

Chancey  Juday,  Lake  Survey. 

DIVISION  OF  SOILS: 

Andrew  R.  Whitson,  In  charge. 

♦Warren  J.  Geib,  Inspector  and  Editor. 

Theodore  J.  Dunnewald,  Field  Assistant  and  Analyst. 

Francis  J.  O’Connell,  Field  Assistant. 

William  H.  Pierre,  Field  Assistant. 

Julius  E.  Rubier,  Field  Assistant. 

♦Scientist  in  Soil  Survey,  in  charge  of  field  operation  in  Wisconsin  for 
U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture,  Bureau  of  Soils. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


Page 

Table  of  Contents 3 

Illustrations  5 

Introduction  7 

CHAPTER  I 

General  Description  of  the  Area 11 

Soils 13 

CHAPTER  II 

. 

Group  of  Heavy  Soils 18 

Superior  silt  loam 18 

Superior  silt  loam,  rolling  phase 19 

Superior  clay  loam 20 

Superior  clay  loam,  rolling  phase 21 

Chemical  composition  and  improvement  of  heavy  soils  22 

CHAPTER  III 

Group  of  Loam  and  Fine  Sandy  Loams  27 

Superior  loam  27 

Superior  loam,  rolling  phase 28 

Superior  fine  sandy  loam 29 

Superior  fine  sandy  loam,  rolling  phase 30 

Miami  loam  31 

Miami  fine  sandy  loam 31 

Antigo  fine  sandy  loam 33 

Antigo  loam 34 

Chemical  composition  and  fertility  of  loams  and  fine 

sandy  loams 35 

CHAPTER  IV 

Group  of  Fine  Sandy  Soils 38 

Coloma  fine  sand 38 

Coloma  fine  sandy  loam 39 

Plainfield  fine  sand 40 

Chemical  composition  and  fertility  of  fine  sands 41 


4 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  V 

Page 

Group  of  Poorly  Drained  Soils 44 

Poygan  clay  loam 44 

Poygan  silt  loam 44 

Poygan  fine  sandy  loam 45 

Chemical  composition  and  fertility  of  Poygan  soils. . . 46 

Clyde  silt  loam 49 

Clyde  fine  sandy  loam 50 

Whitman  loam 46 

Dunning  fine  sandy  loam 48 

Genesee  silt  loam 50 

Genesee  fine  sandy  loam 51 

Peat  52 

Peat,  shallow  phase , . 54 

Chemical  composition  and  fertility  of  Peat 54 

CHAPTER  YI 

General  Agriculture  and  Climate  57 

History  57 

Present  status  of  agriculture 58 

Adaptation  of  crops  to  soils 62 

Rotation  of  crops 64 

Farm  equipment  67 

Farm  tenure  and  labor 68 

Methods 68 

Liming 69 

Distribution  of  lime,  commercial  fertilizer  and  manure  70 

Drainage 72 

Climate  73 

Summary  75 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


PLATES  AND  FIGURES 

Page 

Plate  I.  View  showing  surface  features  of  the  Superior 

Soils  20 

View  taken  on  Superior  clay  loam,  rolling 
phase  20 

Plate  II.  Surface  features  typical  of  Superior  fine  sandy 

loam,  rolling  phase 30 

Showing  sand  areas  which  have  been  influenced 
by  wind  action,  forming  low  dunes 30 

FIGURES 

Figure  1.  Sketch  map  showing  areas  in  state  covered  by 

the  soil  survey 11 

Figure  2.  Sketch  map  of  Outagamie  County  showing  the 

geological  formations 13 

Soil  Map  of  Outagamie  County 


Attached  to  back  cover 


INTRODUCTION 


Before  the  greatest  success  in  agriculture  can  be  reached  it  is 
necessary  that  the  farmer  should  have  a thorough  knowledge  of 
the  soil  upon  his  own  farm.  A soil  may  be  well  adapted  to  one 
crop,  and  poorly  adapted  to  another  crop.  Clover  will  produce 
a vigorous  growth  and  profitable  yields  on  the  average  loam  soil 
which  contains  lime  and  is  in  a sweet  condition;  but  on  a sandy 
soil  which  is  sour,  or  in  an  acid  condition,  clover  will  not  make 
a satisfactory  growth.  We  may  say,  therefore,  that  failure  is 
certain  to  be  invited  when  such  important  facts  are  disregarded, 
or  overlooked.  The  degree  of  success  which  it  is  possible  to  win 
on  any  farm  is  in  direct  proportion  to  the  practical  knowledge 
possessed  by  the  farmer  concerning  the  soil  and  its  adaptation 
to  crops.  A thorough  knowledge  of  the  soil  is  as  essential  to  the 
farmer  as  a knowledge  of  merchandise  and  business  methods  is 
to  the  merchant. 

The  State  of  Wisconsin,  working  in  cooperation  with  the 
United  States  Department  of  Agriculture,  is  making  a careful 
study  of  soils  and  agricultural  conditions  throughout  Wisconsin, 
and  is  preparing  soil  maps  and  soil  reports  of  all  counties  in 
the  State.  A soil  map  shows  the  location  and  extent  of  the  differ- 
ent kinds  of  soil.  Tracts  of  10  acres  and  over  are  mapped,  but 
often  areas  of  even  smaller  extent  are  shown.  The  soil  map  is 
prepared  by  trained  men,  who  go  over  a county  thoroughly, 
and  examine  the  soil  by  making  a sufficient  number  of  borings 
to  a depth  of  36  inches  to  keep  account  of  all  variations.  A re- 
port is  also  made,  to  accompany  and  explain  the  map,  and  this 
is  based  upon  a careful  study  of  the  soils  within  the  region  sur- 
veyed, and  upon  such  other  features  as  have  a direct  bearing 
upon  the  agriculture  of  the  area. 

It  is  the  object  of  this  survey  to  make  an  inventory  of  the 
soils  of  the  State,  and  to  be  of  practical  help  to  farmers  by 
locating  and  describing  the  different  soils,  by  determining  their 
physical  character  and  chemical  composition,  and  by  offering 


8 


SOIL  SUEVEY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY. 


suggestions  for  their  management,  based  upon  the  work  of  the 
Soil  Survey  within  the  area  covered  in  the  report,  and  upon 
the  results  of  field  tests  made  by  the  Experiment  Station. 

Soil  fertility  depends  upon  two  factors : first,  upon  the  physi- 
cal characteristics  of  the  sod,  such  as  water-holding  capacity, 
workability,  etc.,  and  second,  upon  the  chemical  composition  of 
the  material  composing  the  soil.  The  chemical  composition  de- 
pends upon  the  mode  of  origin  of  the  soil,  and  the  source  of 
material  from  which  the  soil  is  derived. 

Water  holding  capacity  and  other  physical  properties  of  soil 
all  depend  chiefly  upon  texture,  which  refers  to  the  size  of  the 
individual  soil  grains,  or  particles.  A coarse  sandy  soil,  for  ex- 
ample, will  not  retain  moisture  as  long  as  a loam  soil,  or  clay 
loam,  because  the  finer  the  soil  grains,  the  greater  will  be  the 
total  soil-grain  surface  area  to  which  moisture  may  adhere. 

Texture  is  determined  in  the  field  by  rubbing  the  soil  between 
the  thumb  and  fingers,  and  with  experience  one  soon  becomes 
expert  at  judging  the  size  of  "soil  grains.  This  field  judgment 
is  verified  in  the  laboratory  by  a mechanical  analysis,  which  is 
made  by  a simple  method  of  separating  soil  grains  into  different 
groups,  of  which  there  are  seven.  These  are  known  as  clay,  silt, 
very  fine  sand,  fine  sand,  medium  sand,  coarse  sand,  and  fine 
gravel. 

A chemical  analysis  is  also  made  of  the  soil  to  determine  the 
amounts*  of  various  essential  plant-food  elements  which  are 
present.  A chemical  analysis  shows  whether  the  soil  contains  a 
large  store  of  plant  food,  or  only  a small  quantity,  and  it  indi- 
cates which  kinds  of  plant  food  will  probably  be  needed  first. 
The  amount  of  organic  matter  in  the  soil  is  also  determined,  and 
tests  are  made  to  show  conditions  relative  to  soil  acidity. 

SOIL  CLASSIFICATION. 

Soils  are  grouped  according  to  texture  into  soil  classes,  a soil 
class  being  made  up  of  soils  having  the  same  texture,  though 
differing  in  other  respects.  A fine  sand,  for  example,  may  be 
light  colored  and  of  alluvial  origin,  while  another  fine  sand  may 
be  dark  in  color  and  of  residual  origin,  while  a third  fine  sand 
may  have  been  blown  into  sand  dunes  by  the  wind,  yet  all  of 
these  soils  would  belong  to  the  same  class,  because  the  greater 


GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  AREA. 


9 


proportion  of  the  soil  grains  have  the  same  size  or  texture.  Thus 
we  may  have  different  kinds  of  clays?  loams,  sands,  etc.,  and  the 
class  to  which  any  soil  will  belong  depends  upon  the  size  of  the 
individual  soil  grains  of  which  it  is  composed,  and  not  upon  its 
color,  origin,  topographic  position,  or  agricultural  value. 

SOIL  CLASSES 

Soils  Containing  Less  Than  20%  Silt  and  Clay 

Coarse  sand. — Over  25%  fine  gravel  and  coarse  sand,  and  less  than 
50%  of  any  other  grade  of  sand. 

Sand. — Over  25%  fine  gravel,  coarse  and  medium  sand,  and  less  than 
50%  fine  sand. 

Fine  sand. — Over  50%  fine  sand,  or  less  than  25%  fine  gravel,  coarse 
and  medium  sand. 

Very  fine  sand. — Over  50%  very  fine  sand. 

Soils  Containing  Between  20-50%  of  Silt  and  Clay 

Sandy  loam. — Over  25%  fine  gravel,  coarse  and  medium  sand. 

Fine  sandy  loam. — Over  50%  fine  sand,  or  less  than  25%  fine  gravel, 
coarse  and  medium  sand. 

Sandy  clay. — Eess  than  20%  silt. 

Soils  Containing  over  50%  of  Silt  and  Clay 

Loam. — Less  than  20%  clay,  and  less  than  50%  silt. 

Silt  loam. — Less  than  20%  clay,  and  over  50%  silt. 

Clay  loam. — Between  20  and  30%  clay,  and  over  50%  silt. 

Silty  clay  loam. — Between  20  and  30%  clay,  and  over  50%  silt. 

Clay. — Over  30%  clay. 

Soils  may  be  grouped  in  another  way.  Where  soils  are  closely 
related  through  similar  sources  of  the  material  from  which  de- 
rived, mode  of  origin,  topographic  position,  etc.,  so  that  the  dif- 
ferent soils  constitute  merely  a gradation  in  texture  of  other- 
wise uniform  material,  such  a group  is  called  a soil  series . It 
corresponds  to  the  family  which  is  made  up  of  different  indi- 
viduals having  the  same  parentage.  The  Miami  series,  for  ex- 
ample, includes  light  colored,  glacial  material  where  the  soils 
have  been  derived  largely  from  the  underlying  limestone,  and 
the  soils  in  the  series  range  in  texture  from  a clay  loam  to  sand 
and  gravel.  The  Plainfield  series  includes  light  colored  soils  in 
regions  where  no  limestone  is  present,  where  the  parent  rock 
was  largely  sandstone,  and  where  the  material  occurs  as  outwash 
plains  or  stream  terraces.  As  the  soils  of  this  series  have  been 


10 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY. 


derived  largely  from  sandstone,  the  types  are  mostly  of  a 
sandy  nature.  The  name  used  for  a soil  series  usually  in- 
dicates the  locality  where  that  particular  series  was  first  recog- 
nized and  mapped  by  the  Soil  Survey.  By  uniting  the  soil  class 
with  the  soil  series  we.  get  the  soil  type  which  is  the  basis  or 
unit  of  classifying  and  mapping  soils.  A soil  type  thus,  is  a 
soil  which  is  uniform  throughout  its  entire  extent  in  texture, 
color,  topographic  position,  and  other  physical  properties,  and 
having  a distinct  agricultural  unity,  that  is,  being  adapted  to 
the  same  crops,  and  requiring  the  same  treatment.  It  is  also  uni- 
form in  the  source  of  material  from  which  it  is  derived,  and  the 
mode  of  origin  which,  taken  together,  determine  the  chemical 
composition.  Since  the  soil  type  is  the  unit  in  classifying  and 
mapping  soils,  and  the  basis  upon  which  experimental  work 
should  be  conducted,  every  farmer  should  be  familiar  with  the 
soil  types  on  his  farm,  and  their  leading  characteristics. 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  OUTAGAMIE 
COUNTY,  WISCONSIN 


CHAPTER  I. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  AREA. 

Outagamie  County  is  located  in  the  east-central  part  of  Wis- 
consin, and  covers  an  area  of  646  square  miles,  or  413,440  acres. 


Figure  1. — Sketch  map  showing  progress  of  the  soil  survey. 

Viewed  from  an  agricultural  standpoint,  Outagamie  County 
ranks  with  the  foremost  of  the  state.  Over  80  per  cent  of  the 
total  area  is  in  farms,  and  more  than  two-thirds  of  this  is  im- 
proved land.  Several  rather  large  areas  of  marsh  occur  in  the 
north-western  part  of  the  county.  Lying  between  the  Em- 
barrass, Wolf  and  Shioc  Rivers  is  a broad,  flat  stretch  of  fairly 
fertile  soil,  which  was  principally  laid  down  by  these  streams 
during  seasons  of  high  water.  This  area  covers  most  of  the 
townships  of  Deer  Creek,  Maple  Creek,  Liberty  and  the  west 
part  of  Cicero. 


12 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY. 


In  the  townships  of  Liberty  and  Hortonia,  and  between  Hor- 
tonville  and  Stephensville,  numerous  hills  and  ridges  of  fine 
sand  occur.  Similar  hills  are  also  found  in  the  northern  part 
of  the  town  of  Maine. 

South  and  east  of  the  low  flat  plains  mentioned  above  is  the 
most  important  farming  section  of  the  county.  It  consists  of 
the  rolling,  fertile  Superior  soils.  The  highly  improved  condi- 
tion of  the  farms,  the  excellent  farm  buildings  and  the  modern 
school  houses  and  churches  all  point  to  these  soils  as  being 
among  the  most  productive  of  the  region.  The  remainder  of 
the  county  to  the  southeast  is  principally  occupied  by  the  level, 
heavy,  Superior  soils.  In  fertility  and  productiveness,  they 
rank  close  to  the  rolling  Superior,  but  on  account  of  their  low 
flat  character  they  are  usually  deficient  in  drainage. 

The  northern  and  western  portions  of  Outagamie  County  are 
drained  through  the  Wolf  River  and  its  tributaries  into  Lake 
Michigan. 

The  Wolf,  the  Embarrass  and  the  Shioc  Rivers  draining  the 
north-western  part  of  the  area  are  all  slow,  meandering,  slug- 
gish streams  within  this  area,  and  a great  deal  of  the  low,  flat 
surrounding  territory  is  subject  to  overflow  in  the  spring  of 
the  year.  The  streams  in  the  eastern  and  southern  parts  of  the 
county  have  a larger  amount  of  fall.  The  Fox  River  in  a dis- 
tance of  thirty-five  miles,  has  a difference  in  elevation  of  170 
feet.  The  excellent  water  power  facilities  offered  by  this  stream 
have  been  highly  developed  and  have  made  this  region  famous 
as  a paper  and  pulp  producing  center. 

The  first  white  man  to  settle  in  the  county  was  probably  Dom- 
inique Ducharme,  who  established  himself  in  1790  near  the 
present  site  of  Kaukauna.  In  1851,  Outagamie  County  was 
formed  from  Brown  County. 

Over  Outagamie  County  the  population  is  quite  evenly  dis- 
tributed. The  township  of  Maine  is  most  thinly  settled,  and 
the  region  directly  bordering  the  Fox  River  is  the  most  thickly 
settled.  The  census  of  1920  reports  the  population  of  the  county 
as  55,113.  This  gives  an  average  of  85.3  persons  per  square 
mile. 

Outagamie  County  is  well  supplied  with  railroad  facilities. 
The  wagon  roads  through  the  county  are  generally  in  fair  con- 
dition. A system  of  concrete  roads  is  now  under  construction, 
which  when  completed  will  connect  all  of  the  principal  towns 
in  the  county. 


GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  AND  HISTORY  OF  THE  AREA.  13 


The  towns  within  the  area  afford  a market  for  much  of  the 
farm  produce,  but  the  greater  part  is  shipped  to  outside  points. 
Of  the  agricultural  output,  dairy  products  are  most  important. 
Butter  and  cheese  are  shipped  to  all  parts  of  the  country.  Sev- 
eral milk  condenseries  are  located  within  the  county.  Livestock 
of  all  kinds  are  shipped  from  towns  in  the  area.  Excellent 
markets  are  within  easy  access  of  all  farms. 

ONEIDA  INDIAN  RESERVATION. 

The  Oneida  Indian  Reservation  is  located  in  the  north-east 
corner  of  Outagamie  County.  The  entire  reservation  consists 
of  over  60,000  acres  of  land,  but  nearly  half  of  this  is  in  Brown 
County. 

In  1824  about  eighty  Oneida  Indians  coming  from  the  state 
of  New  York  purchased  land  of  the  Menominee  Indians  along 
Duck  Creek  within  the  present  boundaries  of  the  reservation. 
More  of  the  same  nation  continued  to  come,  and  by  1838  the 
colony  numbered  about  650.  In  this  year  the  United  States 
Government  made  its  first  treaty  with  them,  setting  aside  one 
hundred  acres  of  land  for  each  individual.  The  Indians,  as  a 
rule,  have  done  little  to  improve  the  land  within  the  reserva- 
tion, although  a few  have  cleared  farms  and  built  homes. 


14 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY . 


During  the  past  few  years  most  of  the  Indians  have  been 
given  a clear  title  to  their  lands,  with  the  privilege  to  sell  or 
dispose  of  the  same,  and,  due  to  this  fact,  white  settlers  and 
land  companies  are  rapidly  getting  control  of  a larger  part  of 
the  area,  and  are  clearing  and  improving  much  of  the  excellent 
land  which  has  heretofore  lain  idle. 

Near  Oneida  Station,  within  the  reservation,  the  Government 
maintains  a free  school  with  a farm  where  the  Indian  children 
may  be  sent  for  nine  months  of  the  year  with  no  expense  what- 
ever to  the  parents.  District  schools  are  also  maintained 
throughout  the  area,  and  several  churches  have  been  erected. 
The  bulk  of  the  population  is  in  the  southern  part  of  the  reser- 
vation, the  thickest  settlements  being  along  the  banks  of  Duck 
Creek.  The  northern  part  is  very  thinly  settled. 

SOILS.* 

Outagamie  County,  in  common  with  the  greater  part  of  east- 
ern and  northern  Wisconsin,  owes  the  general  character  of  its 
surface  material  to  several  distinct  methods  of  accumulation. 
These  materials  may  be  of  glacial,  alluvial  or  lacustrine  (de- 
posited in  lakes)  origin.  In  addition  to  these  agencies  may  be 
added  the  accumulation  of  organic  matter  in  low  places  which 
has  resulted  in  the  formation  of  large  areas  of  peat  soils.  In  a 

*In  comparing  this  issue  of  the  soil  survey  report  of  Outagamie 
County  with  the  edition  published  by  the  United  States  Bureau  of  Soils 
it  will  be  noted  there  is  some  difference  in  the  naming  of  some  of  the 
soil  types.  In  the  State  report  the  types  have  been  correlated  with 
the  soils  as  previously  mapped  within  the  State  while  in  the  report 
issued  by  the  United  States  Bureau  of  Soils  the  types  have  been  cor- 
related with  the  soils  as  they  occur  in  adjoining  States.  The  follow- 
ing table  gives  the  various  soils  to  which  different  names  have  been 
applied  in  the  two  reports. 


Soil  Type  Names  as  used  by 
U.  S.  Bureau  of  Soils 


Clyde  fine  sandy  loam — till  phase 

Clyde  silt  loam — till  phase 

Coloma  very  fine  sand - 

Genesee  very  fine  sandy  loam 

Kewaunee  fine  sandy  loam 

Kewaunee  loam 

Kewaunee  silt  loam...... 

Kewaunee  clay  loam 

Merrimac  very  fine  sandy  loam.— 

Merrimac  loam 

Plainfield  very  fine  sand 


Soil  Type  Names  as  used  in 
the  report  issued  by  the  State 
of  Wisconsin. 


Clyde  fine  sandy  loam 
Clyde  silt  loam 
Coloma  fine  sand 
Genesee  fine  sandy  loam 
Superior  fine  sandy  loam — 
rolling  phase 

Superior  loam,  rolling  phase 
Superior  silt  loam,  rolling  phase 
Superior  clay  loam,  rolling  phase 
Antigo  fine  sandy  loam 
Antigo  loam 
Plainfield  fine  sand 


GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  AND  El  STORY  OF  TEE  AREA . 15 


geological  classification  which  takes  into  consideration  the  under- 
lying rock  formations  the  county  naturally  falls  into  several 
divisions. 

The  bed  rock  underlying  the  soils  of  Outagamie  County  con- 
sists of  two  radically  different  formations,  sandstone  and  lime- 
stone. There  are  two  ages  of  sandstone  and  two  ages  of  lime- 
stone. The  accompanying  sketch  map  shows  the  approximate 
location  and  extent  of  the  four  rock  formations  which  make 
up  the  surface  rock  of  this  region.  These  are  the  Potsdam 
sandstone,  lower  magnesian  limestone,  St.  Peter’s  sandstone  and 
Trenton  and  Galena  limestone. 

All  of  these  formations  have  contributed  to  some  extent  to 
the  soils  of  the  region.  In  addition  the  glacier  carried  quan- 
tities of  the  granitic  material  over  onto  the  other  rock  forma- 
tions. The  granitic  boulders  frequently  seen  are  an  evidence 
of  this  action. 

Another  formation  within  the  county  is , represented  by  the 
heavy  red  clay.  This  red  material  was  deposited  in  quiet  waters 
when  the  Great  Lakes  stood  at  a much  higher  level  than  at 
present.  After  being  deposited,  this  material  was  acted  upon 
by  the  ice  sheet  and  was  mixed  to  some  extent  with  other  ma- 
terials. The  surface  in  places  was  left  level,  as  along  the  Fox 
River,  and  rolling  as  in  the  Town  of  Dale  and  elsewhere. 

As  a result  of  the  various  geological  agencies  which  have  in- 
fluenced this  region,  the  surface  of  the  county  falls  into  three 
rather  distinct  divisions. 

The  northwestern  quarter  of  the  county  consists  of  an  ex- 
tensive alluvial  plain  in  which  the  soils  have  been  deposited 
by  flood  waters  from  the  Wolf,  Shioc  and  Embarrass  Rivers. 
These  streams  traverse  regions  of  both  sandstone  and  crystalline 
rocks  and  the  alluvial  soils  are  therefore  a mixture  of  materials 
from  both  these  sources.  Within  this  region  there  are  extensive 
marsh  areas,  consisting  for  the  most  part  of  peat. 

In  the  southeastern  part  of  the  county  there  is  a considerable 
area  along  the  Fox  River  where  the  soil  is  a heavy  red  clay, 
and  where  the  surface  is  level,  it  having  been  influenced  to  only 
a limited  extent  by  glacial  action  since  its  deposition. 

Between  this  region  and  the  one  described  as  covering  the 
northwestern  quarter  of  the  county,  there  is  another  region 
much  larger  than  either  of  the  other  two,  in  which  is  found 


16 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY. 


the  best  agricultural  land  within  the  area.  It  is  a rolling  country 
in  which  the  subsoils  are  largely  made  up  of  red  clay  which 
has  been  mixed  by  glacial  action  with  glacial  material  from 
both  sandstone  and  limestone  formations. 

In  the  survey  of  Outagamie  County,  these  various  materials 
have  been  classified  into  ten  soil  series  and  nineteen  soil  types. 
The  soil  series  (which  correspond  to  the  family  group)  are  de- 
scribed here  only  very  briefly.  The  individual  soil  types  are 
fully  described  and  are  shown  on  the  map,  each  being  indicated 
by  a distinct  color.  It  is  the  soil  types  in  which  we  are  espe- 
cially interested  since  the  type  is  the  unit  in  mapping  and 
classifying  soils.  Following  is  a complete  list  of  the  soil  types 
mapped  in  the  county,  and  the  series  or  family  group  to  which 
each  type  belongs. 

The  Superior  series  is  characterized  by  the  heavy  red  clay 
which  forms  the  subsoil  of  all  the  types  within  this  series. 
Typically  the  surface  is  level  or  nearly  so,  and  the  natural  sur- 
face drainage  is  somewhat  deficient.  Where  this  same  material 
occurs  and  the  surface  is  sufficiently  rolling  to  insure  fair  to 
good  surface  drainage,  the  term  rolling  phase  is  used  to  de- 
scribe it.  In  this  county  the  rolling  phase  of  the  various  types 
is  more  extensive  than  the  typical  soil.  The  types  mapped  are 
the  Superior  clay  loam,  silt  loam,  loam,  and  fine  sandy  loam. 
With  each  of  these  types  a rolling  phase  was  also  mapped. 

The  Poygan  series  includes  dark  colored,  low-lying,  poorly 
drained  soils  underlain  by  heavy  red  clays.  The  types  mapped 
in  this  area  are  Poygan  clay  loam,  silt  loam,  and  fine  sandy 
loam. 

The  Coloma  series  includes  light-colored  upland  soils  which 
have  been  derived  chiefly  from  glaciated  sandstone.  The  types 
mapped  are  Coloma  fine  sandy  loam  and  fine  sand. 

The  Antigo  series  includes  light-colored  soils  which  occur  as 
level  tracts  known  as  outwash  plains  or  stream  terraces.  These 
soils  have  been  derived  chiefly  from  glaciated  granitic  material 
and  to  a lesser  extent  from  sandstone  material,  all  of  which  has 
been  re-deposited  by  running  waters.  The  types  mapped  here 
are  Antigo  loam  and  fine  sandy  loam. 

The  plainfield  series  is  similar  to  the  Antigo  except  that  the 
material  forming  it  has  been  derived  largely  from  sandstone 
instead  of  from  granite  rocks.  The  Plainfield  fine  sand  is  the 
only  type  of  the  series  mapped  in  this  county. 


GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  AND  HISTORY  OF  THE  AREA.  17 

The  Miami  series  consists  of  light-colored  upland  soils  which 
were  originally  timbered  and  which  consist  of  glacial  material 
derived  in  part  from  limestone.  The  types  mapped  in  this 
county  are  the  Miami  loam  and  fine  sandy  loam. 

The  Whitman  series  consists  of  low-lying,  poorly  drained, 
dark-colored  soils  which  occur  within  stream  valleys  as  plains 
or  depressions  in  the  upland  where  the  material  has  come 
largely  from  glaciated  granitic  regions  and  where  the  soils  are 
in  an  acid  condition.  The  types  mapped  are  the  Whitman 
loam  and  the  Whitman  fine  sandy  loam. 

The  Clyde  series  consists  of  low-lying,  poorly  drained,  dark- 
colored  soils  occupying  stream  valleys,  old  lake  beds  or  ponded 
valleys  where  the  soil  material  has  come  largely  from  lime- 
stone. It  is  very  similar  to  the  Whitman  series  except  that  it 
contains  a considerable  amount  of  lime  carbonate  and  is  very 
seldom  in  an  acid  condition.  The  types  mapped  were  Clyde 
silt  loam  and  fine  sandy  loam. 

The  Dunning  series  includes  dark-colored,  light-textured,, 
poorly  drained  soils,  where  the  parent  material  for  the  most 
part  is  sandstone.  The  soils  of  this  series  are  acid.  The  types 
mapped  are  Dunning  loam  and  fine  sandy  loam. 

The  Genesee  series  consists  of  brown  or  light  brown  soils 
which  occur  as  first  bottom  land.  In  this  area  they  are  of  very 
limited  extent  and  of  minor  importance.  Two  types,  silt  loam 
and  fine  sandy  loam,  were  mapped. 

In  addition  to  these  various  soils,  there  are  extensive  areas 
mapped  as  peat.  This  consists  of  decaying  organic  matter, 
with  which  there  has  been  incorporated  a very  small  amount  of 
fine  earth. 

In  the  subsequent  pages  of  this  report,  the  various  soil  types 
mapped  in  Outagamie  County  are  discussed  in  detail. 

The  distribution  of  the  various  soils  is  shown  on  the  map, 
and  the  actual  and  relative  extent  of  each  is  shown  in  the  fol- 
lowing table. 


18 


SOIL  SUEVEY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY , 


AREA  OF  DIFFERENT  SOILS. 


Soil 


Superior  loam 

Superior  loam  rolling  phase 

Peat  

Shallow  phase ' 

Superior  fine  sandy  loam 

Superior  fine  sandy  loam  rolling  phase.. 

Superior  clay  loam  

Superior  clay  loam  rolling  phase 

Superior  silt  loam  

Superior  silt  loam  rolling  phase 

Poygan  silt  loam 

Antigo  fine  sandy  loam 

Coloma  fine  sand — 

Antigo  loam 

Genesee  silt  loam 

Whitman  fine  sandy  loam 

Whitman  loam 

Miami  fine  sandy  loam 

Poygan  clay  loam 

Plainfield  fine  sand :~ 

Genesee  fine  sandy  loam 

Clyde  silt  loam — 

Coloma  fine  sandy  loam 

Poygan  fine  sandy  loam 

Clyde  fine  sandy  loam 

Miami  loam 


Acres 


23.488 
62,656 
51,264 

8,704 

7,808 

49,984 

28,032 

22,528 

22,528 

26,368 

17,216 

16,512 

15.488 
12,928 
12,672 

9,792 

5,888 

5,184 

4,352 

2,560 

2,176 

1,728 

1,152 

960 

832 

576 


413,440 


! Per  Cent 


20.9 

14.5 

14.0 

12.3 

11.8 

4.2 

4.0 
3.7 

3.1 
3.1 

2.4 

1.4 

1.3 
1.0 

.6 

.5 

.4 

.3 

.2 

.2 

’.1 


GROUP  OF  HEAVY  SOILS. 


19 


CHAPTER  II. 

GROUP  OF  HEAVY  SOILS. 

SUPERIOR  SILT  LOAM. 

Extent  and  distribution. — This  soil  occupies  a total  area  of 
about  one  township.  Irregular  tracts  ranging  in  size  from  a 
few  acres  to  five  or  six  square  miles  extend  across  the  eastern 
part  of  the  county  in  a northeasternly  and  southwesternly  di- 
rection. It  occurs  more  extensively  in  T 24  N,  R 19  E in  the 
towns  of  Osborn,  Freedom,  Grand  Chute,  and  Center.  There 
are  only  a very  few  small  patches  in  the  west  half  of  the  county. 

Description. — The  surface  soil  of  this  type  to  a depth  of 
about  eight  inches  consists  of  a brown  silt  loam  containing  a 
considerable  amount  of  organic  matter.  The  surface  soil  is 
free  from  gravel  and  stones.  The  subsoil  consists  of  a heavy 
compact  pinkish  red  clay,  which  extends  to  a depth  of  over 
three  feet. 

There  are  some  variations  in  this  soil,  the  chief  one  being  the 
depth  of  the  silty  material  over  the  heavy  red  clay  subsoil.  This 
may  vary  from  four  to  five  inches  up  to  ten  or  twelve  inches. 
There  is  also  some  variation  in  the  amount  of  organic  matter, 
the  largest  amount  being  found  in  areas  which  are  slightly  de- 
pressed. Aside  from  these  variations,  which  are  all  of  minor 
importance,  the  type  is  very  uniform. 

Topography  and  drainage. — The  surface  of  the  Superior  silt 
loam  is  level,  or  only  very  gently  undulating,  and  because  of 
the  heavy  character  of  the  subsoil,  natural  drainage  is  some- 
what deficient.  During  spring,  when  heavy  rains  are  common, 
the  soil  becomes  saturated,  hence  it  warms  up  more  slowly  than 
soils  having  a more  rolling  surface.  Over  considerable  part 
of  this  type  tile  drains  could  be  installed  to  good  advantage. 

Origin. — The  material  forming  this  soil  has  been  derived 
largely  from  lacustrine  (lake  laid)  material  which  was  de- 
posited in  quiet  waters  at  a time  when  the  Great  Lakes  stood 


20 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY. 


at  a much  higher  level  than  at  the  present  time.  After  this 
first  deposition  it  was  modified  to  some  extent  by  glacial  action. 

Native  vegetation. — The  original  timber  growth  consisted 
chiefly  of  maple,  birch,  elm,  some  beech,  and  pine.  Practically 
all  of  the  merchantable  timber  has  been  removed.  Most  of  this 
soil  has  been  cleared,  and  is  now  in  highly  improved  farms. 
About  the  only  exception  to  this  is  in  the  extreme  northeast 
corner  of  the  county  in  T 24  N,  R 19  E where  the  land  was  until 
very  recently  a part  of  the  Indian  Reservation. 

Present  agricultural  development  * — The  chief  crops  grown 
consist  of  hay,  small  grains,  corn,  and  root  crops.  It  is  natur- 
ally a strong  productive  soil;  when  drainage  is  provided,  very 
good  yields  are  secured.  On  practically  all  of  the  farms  made 
up  of  this  soil,  there  is  some  land  which  is  too  wet  for  the  grow- 
ing of  cultivated  crops  without  supplying  some  form  of  drain- 
age. When  thoroughly  drained,  this  soil  will  rank  along  with 
the  best  in  the  county.  It  is  somewhat  more  difficult  to  culti- 
vate than  soils  of  lighter  texture,  but  if  plowed  when  moisture 
conditions  are  favorable,  a good  seed  bed  can  be  secured  with 
but  little  difficulty. 

SUPERIOR  SILT  LOAM. 

ROLLING  PHASE. 

Extent  and  distribution. — This  soil  covers  a total  area  of  ap- 
proximately one  township,  and  is  the  predominating  type  in  the 
town  of  Greenville.  It  is  also  quite  extensive  in  the  town  of 
Grand  Chute,  and  there  are  numerous  small  tracts  in  the  south- 
east part  of  the  county. 

Description. — The  surface  soil  to  a depth  of  about  eight 
inches  consists  of  a brown  to  dark  brown  rather  compact  silt 
loam  containing  a moderate  amount  of  organic  matter.  It  is 
practically  free  from  gravel  and  stones  are  seldom  found  upon 
it.  The  subsoil  into  which  the . surface  material  grades  quite 
abruptly  consists  of  the  heavy  red  clay  which  is  characteristic 
of  this  series. 

Topography  and  drainage. — The  surface  of  this  soil  varies 
from  undulating  to  gently  rolling,  and  in  some  instances  it  could 
be  classed  as  rolling.  On  account  of  the  surface  features  the 

•For  chemical  composition  and  improvement  of  this  soil,  see  page  23. 


Plate  1 


VIEW  SHOWING  TYPICAL  LEVEL  TO  GENTLY  UNDULATING  SUR- 
FACE FEATURES  OF  THE  SUPERIOR  SOILS. 

Where  the  soils  of  this  series  are  heavy  the  natural  drainage  is  some- 
what Deficient. 


VIEW  OF  SUPERIOR  CLAY  LOAM,  ROLLING  PHASE. 

The  term  “rolling  phase’’  is  used  where  the  surface  is  sufficiently  rollin 
to  insure  fair  to  good  natural  drainage. 


GROUP  OF  HEAVY  SOILS. 


21 


natural  surface  drainage  is  usually  good,  although  the  heavy 
compact  subsoil  does  not  permit  the  water  to  move  freely  through 
it.  On  some  of  the  more  gently  sloping  portions  of  the  type,  and 
in  depressions  between  hills  lines  of  tile  could  be  installed  to 
good  advantage. 

Origin. — This  soil  has  been  derived  largely  from  lacustrine 
material  which  has  been  influenced  to  a considerable  extent  since 
its  first  deposition  by  the  action  of  ice. 

While  the  surface  soil  is  sometimes  found  to  be  slightly  acid, 
the  subsoil  usually  contains  a considerable  amount  of  lime 
carbonate. 

Native  vegetation. — The  original  forest  growth  consisted 
chiefly  of  maple,  birch,  basswood,  hickory,  with  some  beech, 
elm,  hemlock,  and  pine. 

Present  agricultural  development* — This  is  one  of  the  desir- 
able soils  of  the  county,  and  one  upon  which  agriculture  is.  very 
highly  developed.  It  is  a strong  productive  soil,  and  well 
adapted  to  the  general  farm  crops  common  to  this  region.  Small 
grains  and  grasses  do  especially  well,  and  the  dairy  industry  is 
the  most  important  line  of  farming  followed. 

The  rotation  most  commonly  followed  consists  of  small  grain, 
followed  by  clover,  or  clover  and  timothy,  followed  by  corn. 

This  soil  is  not  so  difficult  to  cultivate  as  is  the  clay  loam,  but 
nevertheless,  it  requires  heavy  working  stock  and  tools. 

SUPERIOR  CLAY  LOAM. 

Extent  and  distribution. — Superior  clay  loam  is  found  chiefly 
in  the  towns  of  Kaukauna,  the  southeastern  part  of  Freedom, 
Vandenbroek,  and  Grand  Chute.  The  total  area  is  approxi- 
mately one  township. 

Description. — The  surface  of  the  clay  loam  to  an  average 
depth  of  six  inches  consists  of  a light  grayish-brown  clay  loam 
which  grades  quite  abruptly  into  the  heavy  compact  red  clay 
which  extends  to  an  undetermined  depth.  The  light-colored 
material  over  the  red  clay  varies  somewhat  in  depth  from  one 
or  two  inches  to  seven  or  eight  inches.  In  the  heavy  clay  sub- 
soil, especially,  in  the  lower  depth,  it  is  not  uncommon  to  find 
thin  seams  of  fine  and  very  fine  sand.  It  is  also  common  to 
find  in  the  soil  section  a small  amount  of  very  fine  rock  frag- 
ments largely  of  limestone. 


♦For  chemical  composition  and  improvement  of  this  soil,  see  page  23. 


22 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY. 


The  texture  of  both  the  soil  and  subsoil  of  this  type  is  very 
uniform. 

Topography  and  drainage. — The  surface  of  this  soil  is  level 
or  only  very  gently  undulating,  and  the  natural  drainage  is  de- 
ficient. During  the  early  spring,  portions  of  the  type  are  fre- 
quently covered  with  an  inch  or  so  of  water.  Because  of  the 
heavy  subsoil  and  the  slowness  with  which  water  moves  through 
it,  the  type  remains  wet  and  cold  for  some  time  during  the  early 
part  of  each  growing  season,  and  the  planting  of  crops  is  fre- 
quently delayed  on  this  account.  Practically  all  of  this  soil 
could  be  improved  by  tile  drainage  although  up  to  the  present 
time  but  very  few  have  been  installed. 

Present  agricultural  development — Practically  all  of  the 
crops  common  to  the  region  are  grown  with  success  upon  this 
soil,  but  it  is  better  adapted  to  small  grains  and  grasses  than  to 
corn.  Where  drainage  has  been  supplied,  corn  can  be  grown 
successfully,  and  all  the  other  crops  are  much  more  certain  of 
giving  satisfactory  yields.  Tile  drainage  permits  the  soil  to 
warm  up  much  earlier  in  the  spring  which  gives  the  crops  a 
better  start. 

SUPERIOR  CLAY  LOAM,  ROLLING  PHASE. 

Extent  and  distribution. — This  soil  is  chiefly  found  in  the 
southeast  portion  of  the  county,  and  is  the  predominating  type 
in  the  towns  of  Vandenbroek  and  Buchanan.  Small  patches 
are  found  in  the  towns  of  Grand  Chute,  Greenville,  Center,  and 
Black  Creek. 

Description. — The  surface  of  this  soil  to  a depth  of  three  to 
four  inches  is  a compact  silt  loam,  or  silty  clay  loam,  of  a brown 
or  slightly  reddish-brown  color.  This  material  grades  abruptly 
into  a heavy  compact  pinkish  red  clay  subsoil.  This  heavy 
material  extends  to  a great  depth  and  some  of  the  road  cuts  and 
stream  channels  show  it  to  extend  to  a depth  of  forty  to  fifty 
feet.  The  surface  of  the  type  is  practically  free  from  stones 
and  only  a very  small  amount  of  gravel  is  ever  found  upon 
it.  In  the  soil  section,  a very  few  small  limestone  fragments 
or  concretions  are  sometimes  found. 

Topography  and  drainage. — The  surface  varies  from  undulat- 
ing to  rolling.  In  a few  instances  in  Buchanan  township  the 


'For  chemical  composition  and  improvement  of  this  soil,  see  page  22. 


GROUP  OF  HEAVY  SOILS. 


23 


surface  is  quite  broken.  Because  of  the  uneven  character  of 
most  of  this  soil  the  surface  drainage  is  good.  The  compact 
subsoil,  however,  does  not  permit  the  water  to  move  freely 
within  the  soil.  The  only  difference  between  this  soil  and  the 
typical  Superior  clay  loam  is  the  difference  in  topography. 

Present  agricultural  development  * — Practically  all  of  the 
merchantable  timber  has  been  removed,  and  very  nearly  all  of 
the  type  is  now  cultivated.  This  is  an  excellent  soil,  well  adapted 
to  general  farming  and  dairying,  and  all  of  the  farm  'crops 
common  to  the  region  are  successfully  grown  upon  it.  A rot° 
tion  quite  commonly  practiced  consists  of  small  grain  one  or 
two  years,  followed  by  clover  or  a mixture  of  clover  and  timothy 
for  one  or  two  years,  and  then  followed  by  corn. 

About  the  only  fertilizer  used  is  stable  manure,  but  since  the 
soil  is  very  heavy  and  somewhat  deficient  in  organic  matter,  a 
practice  which  is  good,  but  not  common,  is  to  supplement  the 
stable  manure  by  plowing  under  a green  manuring  crop  about 
once  in  four  or  five  years,  and  for  this  purpose  legumes  are  best. 


CHEMICAL  COMPOSITION  AND  IMPROVEMENT  OP  SUPERIOR  SILT 
LOAM  AND  SUPERIOR  CLAY  LOAM. 

These  soils  are  similar  in  the  texture  and  structure  of  the 
subsoil  section.  They  differ  chiefly  in  topography  and  texture 
of  the  surface  soil,  as  indicated  by  the  type  names.  The  types 
are  so  closely  related  that  methods  for  the  improvement  of  one 
will  apply  to  the  others. 

The  four  elements  with  which  the  farmer  is  most  concerned 
in  his  farming  operations,  and  the  ones  which  are  the  most  apt 
to  be  deficient,  are  nitrogen,  phosphorus,  potassium  and  lime 
or  calcium.  He  should  know  the  part  which  each  plays  in  the 
development  of  the  plant,  and  what  are  the  best  methods  of 
maintaining  an  adequate  supply  in  the  soil. 

The  soil  has  been  leaching  for  a large  number  of  years,  and 
has  lost  some  of  the  lime  carbonate  which  it  contained.  Vary- 
ing degrees  of  acidity  have  developed  over  the  region.  The  loss 
of  lime  (calcium  carbonate)  from  the  soil  is  caused  by  two 
distinct  factors,  both  of  which  are  important.  Crops  require 
lime  in  their  growth.  A five-ton  crop  of  alfalfa  requires  185 


24 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY. 


pounds  of  lime  and  two  tons  of  red  clover  requires  61.6  pounds. 
A much  larger  amount  is  removed  by  leaching  each  year  and 
these  losses  must  be  made  up  by  the  application  of  lime  in  order 
to  maintain  the  fertility  of  this  soil. 

Tests  show  that  the  subsoil  is  usually  well  supplied  with  lime 
and  that  the  deficiency  is  confined  largely  to  the  surface  soils. 

While  it  will  be  seen  from  tests  that  part  of  this  land  shows 
some  degrees  of  acidity  it  does  not  mean  that  all  of  this  land 
is  in  immediate  need  of  lime.  Where  such  crops  as  alfalfa, 
sugar  beets,  tobacco,  peas,  cabbage  and  other  garden  crops  are 
grown  and  where  the  acidity  is  medium  two  tons  per  acre  of 
ground  limestone  may  be  used  with  profit.  Where  a liberal  sup- 
ply of  manure  is  available  the  need  for  lime  will  not  be  so  great. 

Where  such  crops  as  corn,  clover  and  oats  are  grown  with 
manure  applied  once  during  each  rotation  a smaller  amount  of 
lime  will  be  needed.  On  parts  of  the  farm  where  manure  cannot 
be  applied  the  lime  can  be  used  with  profit  on  such  soils  and 
may  be  actually  necessary  for  economic  production.  The  greater 
need  will  usually  be  on  the  higher  places,  rather  than  on  the 
lower  slopes. 

It  has  been  quite  definitely  established  that  the  need  for  lime 
in  acid  soils  runs  practically  parallel  with  the  need  of  phos- 
phorus. The  use  of  lime  alone  will  not  make  enough  phos- 
phorus available,  and  the  use  of  a phosphate  fertilizer  will  not 
supply  the  lime  requirements  of  the  soil.  Either  lime  alone 
or  acid  phosphate  alone  will  give  increased  yields,  but  neither 
alone  will  give  as  great  an  increase  nor  as  profitable  an  increase 
as  when  both  are  supplied.  In  the  improvement  of  acid  soils, 
therefore,  provisions  for  the  use  of  both  lime  and  a phosphate 
fertilizer  should  be  made. 

Phosphorus  exists  in  all  soils  in  Wisconsin  in  small  amounts. 
Many  of  the  best  types  in  the  state  contain  only  1,200  pounds 
to  the  acre  eight  inches  deep,  and  this  is  in  a form  which  be- 
comes available  to  crops  very  slowly.  Phosphorus  is  constantly 
being  lost  from  the  farm  in  crops,  milk  and  in  the  bones  of  ani- 
mals sold.  It  is  well  understood  that  when  grain,  hay,  potatoes 
or  other  cash  crops  are  sold,  this  element  is  removed  from  the 
farm.  This  element  cannot  be  supplied  from  the  air  and  in 


GROUP  OF  HEAVY  SOILS. 


25 


the  long  run  the  loss  must  be  made  up  through  additions  of 
phosphorus  fertilizer  in  some  form. 

The  chemical  analyses  of  the  Superior  silt  loam  and  clay  loam 
soils  show  that  their  phosphorus  content  is  somewhat  lower 
than  the  average  of  other  silt  loams  and  clay  loams  in  the  State, 
while  the  potassium  content  is  larger.  Their  content  of  or- 
ganic matter  is  somewhat  below  the  average  of  soils  of  this 
texture.  In  regard  to  lime  they  vary  within  very  wide  limits, 
in  some  sections  the  soil  being  acid,  while  in  others  they  con- 
tain as  high  as  ten  to  twelve  per  cent  of  lime  carbonate.  It 
should  be  borne  in  mind  that  where  soils  are  acid  the  amount 
of  phosphorus  which  they  do  contain  is  not  so  readily  available 
to  plants  as  in  soils  which  are  not  acid. 

On  good  uplaid  soil  where  dairying  or  general  farming  is 
practiced  the  use  of  300  pounds  of  16%  acid  phosphate  or  100 
pounds  of  44%  superphosphate  to  the  acre  every  four  years 
will  maintain  the  phosphorus  supply.  If  much  grain,  potatoes 
or  other  crops  are  sold,  about  double  these  amounts  should  be 
used. 

On  soils  relatively  low  in  fertility  somewhat  more  phosphate 
should  be  used  at  first.  This  is  especially  true  of  the  soils  which 
have  grown  corn  or  small  grain  a long  time  without  the  use 
of  manure  or  other  fertilizer. 

If  considerable  amounts  of  bran  or  cottonseed  meal  are  fed, 
which  are  relatively  high  in  phosphorus,  the  supply  of  this  ele- 
ment may  be  maintained.  It  would  usually  be  necessary  to  feed 
at  least  one-half  ton  of  bran  or  cottonseed  meal  to  each  cow 
on  a dairy  farm  per  year  to  maintain  the  phosphorus  supply  of 
the  soil.  Since  comparatively  few  farmers  follow  this  practice, 
some  phosphate  fertilizer  should  be  used. 

Potassium  exists  in  these  soils  in  large  amounts.  They  often 
contain  over  50,000  pounds  of  this  element  per  acre  to  a depth 
of  eight  inches,  while  they  contain  only  1-20  as  much  phosphorus. 
This  potassium,  however,  in  the  form  in  which  it  exists  in  the 
soil  is  not  readily  available  to  crops  and  becomes  so  only  as  a 
result  of  chemical  changes  which  are  chiefly  brought  about 
through  the  action  of  organic  matter.  When  a good  supply  of 
active  organic  matter  is  maintained  the  quantity  of  potassium 
is  sufficient  to  supply  growing  crops  almost  indefinitely  and  it 
is  only  in  the  case  of  fields  low  in  organic  matter  or  where 


26 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY. 


crops  using  unusually  large  amounts  of  available  potassium  are 
grown  that  fertilizers  containing  this  element  need  be  used. 

Nitrogen  is  chiefly  responsible  for  the  dark  green,  healthy 
color  and  rapid  growth  of  corn  or  other  crops  on  well  manured 
land.  It  is  important  to  have  sufficient  amounts  in  the  soil,  but 
when  in  excess  it  is  detrimental  to  some  crops.  The  quality 
of  the  grain  may  be  injured  by  too  much  nitrogen.  When  the 
grain  lodges  the  kernels  do  not  fully  mature. 

Virgin  soils  contain  large  amounts  of  nitrogen  but  if  they 
are  cropped  continuously  to  such  crops  as  corn,  oats  and  tim- 
othy without  the  addition  of  fertilizer  material  containing  nitro- 
gen the  nitrogen  supply  is  gradually  exhausted  and  the  yields 
are  reduced. 

Nitrogen  exists  in  the  soil  almost  entirely  in  combination  with 
organic  or  vegetable  matter.  In  the  light  colored  soils  the  vege- 
table matter  is  relatively  low  and  should  be  increased.  The 
accumulation  of  organic  matter  high  in  nitrogen  is  most  readily 
brought  about  through  the  growth  of  legumes  such  as  clover, 
alfalfa  or  soy  beans.  These  may  either  be  turned  under  as  green 
manuring  crops  in  which  case  all  of  the  nitrogen  collected  from 
the  atmosphere  is  returned  to  the  soil  and  made  available  to 
succeeding  crops,  or  they  may  be  fed  to  animals  and  the  manure 
returned  to  the  soil  so  that  a portion  at  least  of  the  nitrogen 
gathered  from  the  atmosphere  is  returned  to  the  land  to  add 
to  the  supply  already  there.  Whatever  system  of  farming  if 
followed  on  these  soils  should  include  a rotation  one  member  of 
which  is  a legume. 

Certain  crops  such  as  potatoes  and  vegetables  are  frequently 
grown  by  farmers  who  do  not  keep  much  livestock  and  who  do 
not  rotate  these  crops  with  legumes.  In  such  cases  fertilizers 
containing  nitrogen  and  potash,  as  well  as  phosphorus  may  be 
used.  Mixed  fertilizers  are,  therefore,  manufactured  and  offered 
for  sale.  The  composition  of  these  fertilizers  is  indicated  by  a 
formula.  A 2-10-4  fertilizer,  for  instance,  is  one  containing  2% 
of  ammonia,  or  nearly  2%  of  nitrogen,  10%  of  phosphoric  acid 
and  4%  of  potash. 

When  nitrogen  and  potash  are  needed  as  well  as  phosphoric 
acid,  there  is  some  advantage  in  using  these  mixed  fertilizers. 
But  when  the  farmer  needs  to  use  only  a phosphate  fertilizer, 
purchasing  a mixed  fertilizer  means  that  he  is  buying  not  only 


GROUP  OF  LOAMS  AND  FINE  SANDY  LOAMS. 


27 


nitrogen  and  potash  which  he  does  not  need,  but  he  is  com- 
pelled to  pay  a considerably  higher  price  for  the  phosphate  he 
gets  than  is  the  case  when  he  buys  a fertilizer  containing  phos- 
phate only.  Experiments  on  this  soil  at  Ashland  showed  a large 
increase  through  the  use  of  phosphate  fertilizer,  in  addition  to 
manure.  The  following  table  gives  the  results  of  some  of  these 
experiments. 


Crop 

Ten  tons  manure  only 

Ten  tons  manure  and 
1,000  lbs.  rock 
phosphate 

Percent  of  increase 

Potatoes 

87  bu.  per  A. 

128  bu. 

47 

Rutabagas 

108  bu.  per  A. 

137  bu. 

27 

Com. 

30.4  bu.  per  A. 

36.8  bu. 

21 

Clover  hay 

2,223  pounds 

3»177  pounds 

43 

Clover  seed 

217.5  pounds 

336.7  pounds 

47 

The  importance  of  having  sufficient  supplies  of  this  element 
is  made  still  greater  by  the  relatively  poor  drainage  which  the 
Superior  clay  loam  has  and  its  consequent  tendency  to  be  cold 
so  that  crops  are  slow  in  maturing.  The  element  phosphorus  is 
particularly  helpful  in  hastening  the  maturity  of  crops  and 
the  formation  of  seed. 

Phosphorus  may  also  be  supplied  as  acid  phosphate  in  which 
form  it  is  immediately  available  to  plants.  In  the  form  of  rock 
phosphate  the  phosphorus  becomes  available  slowly. 

Where  the  surface  of  the  heavy  soil  is  level,  as  is  frequently 
the  case,  the  question  of  drainage  is  one  of  importance.  Over 
practically  all  such  level  areas  tile  drains  could  be  installed  to 
advantage.  Thorough  drainage  will  make  these  soils  warm  up 
earlier  in  the  spring,  insure  better  tilth  and  increase  yields. 


28 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER  III. 

GROUP  OF  LOAMS  AND  FINE  SANDY  LOAMS. 

SUPERIOR  LOAM. 

Extent  and  distribution. — The  Superior  loam  occupies  a total 
area  of  approximately  one  township.  It  is  found  most  exten- 
sively in  the  northern  half  of  T 24  N,  R 19  E in  the  towns  of 
Seymour,  Osborn,  Freedom. 

Description. — The  surface  soil  of  this  type  to  a depth  of  about 
ten  inches  consists  of  a dark  brown  friable  loam  which  contains 
a moderate  amount  of  organic  matter.  This  type  is  also  free 
from  stones  and  contains  but  very  little  gravel.  The  subsoil 
below  ten  inches  grades  abruptly  into  the  heavy  compact  red 
clay  which  is  characteristic  of  this  series.  This  bed  of  clay 
extends  to  an  undetermined  depth,  probably  forty  to  fifty  feet 
at  least. 

Topography  and  drainage. — The  surface  of  this  type,  as  is 
characteristic  of  this  series,  is  level  or  only  very  gently  undulat- 
ing, and  because  of  the  level  surface  and  heavy  subsoil  the  nat- 
ural drainage  is  somewhat  deficient.  These  are  associated  with 
this  soil  a large  number  of  areas  of  soils  belonging  to  the  Poygan 
series  which  occupy  poorly  drained  depressions. 

A large  part  of  the  Superior  loam  would  be  benefited  by  tile 
drainage,  although  up  to  the  present  time,  but  few  tile  drains 
have  been  installed. 

Present  agricultural  development* — Most  of  this  soil  has  been 
cleared  and  placed  under  cultivation,  and  is  now  in  highly  im- 
proved farms.  About  the  only  exception  to  this  of  any  note  is 
in  the  northern  part  of  T 24  N,  R 19  E where  a portion  of  this 
soil  was  included  in  the  Indian  Reservation.  Practically  all  of 
the  general  farm  crops  common  to  this  region  are  grown  upon 
this  type.  It  is  a good  general  farming  soil,  especially  adapted 
to  small  grains  and  grasses.  The  dairy  industry  has  been  de- 
veloped to  a considerable  extent  upon  it. 


♦For  chemical  composition  and  improvement  of  this  soil,  see  pagre  36. 


GROUP  OF  LOAMS  AND  FINE  SANDY  LOAMS. 


29 


SUPERIOR  LOAM,  ROLLING  PHASE. 

Extent  and  distribution. — This  is  one  of  the  most  important 
and  extensive  types  of  soil  in  Outagamie  County.  It  is  confined 
chiefly  to  the  eastern  half  of  the  county,  and  is  the  predominat- 
ing type  in  the  towns  of  Seymour,  Osborn,  Freedom,  and  Center. 
Small  tracts  of  this  soil  are  found  in  every  town  of  the  county 
with  the  exception  of  Maine  and  Deer  Creek. 

Description. — The  surface  soil  to  an  average  depth  of  about 
ten  inches  consists  of  a brown  mellow  loam.  It  contains  only  a 
moderate  amount  of  organic  matter.  The  subsoil  which  extends 
to  an  undetermined  depth  consists  of  the  heavy  compact  red  clay 
which  is  so  common  in  this  region.  There  are  very  few  stones 
on  this  soil — in  fact,  it  may  be  said  to  be  stone-free,  and  it  is  very 
seldom  that  gravel  is  found  either  on  the  soil  or  in  the  soil 
section.  In  a few  instances,  small  knolls  are  found  upon  the 
surface  of  which  there  is  a small  amount  of  gravel. 

Topography  and  drainage. — The  surface  of  this  soil  ranges 
from  undulating  to  gently  rolling  and  the  natural  surface  drain- 
age is,  for  the  most  part,  good.  Where  the  phase  borders  typical 
Superior  soils  and  the  slope  is  only  moderate,  the  drainage  is 
sometimes  slightly  deficient.  This  is  also  true  of  some  depres- 
sions and  some  of  the  land  along  streams.  In  such  places,  a 
line  of  tile  could  frequently  be  installed  to  good  advantage. 

Present  agricultural  development* — This  is  one  of  the  most 
important  and  highly  improved  soils  of  Outagamie  County,  and 
many  of  the  finest  farms  in  the  region  are  located  upon  it.  Al- 
most every  acre  is  tillable.  All  of  the  farm  crops  common  to 
the  region  are  successfully  grown,  and  the  yields  are  somewhat 
higher  than  on  the  clay  loam  soils.  This  is  partly  due  to  the 
fact  that  the  soil  can  be  worked  under  a somewhat  wider  range 
of  moisture  conditions,  and  can  be  placed  in  better  tilth  at  a 
somewhat  earlier  date  in  the  season.  General  farming  or  dairy- 
ing are  the  chief  types  of  farming  found. 

The  rotation  most  commonly  practiced  consists  of  small  grain, 
followed  by  clover,  or  clover  and  timothy,  followed  by  corn.  The 
only  fertilizer  used  on  this  soil  to  any  extent  is  stable  manure. 
In  addition  to  this,  the  plowing  under  of  a green  manuring 
crop  is  now  receiving  some  attention.  Commercial  fertilizers 

♦For  chemical  composition  and  improvement  of  this  soil,  see  page  36. 


30 


SOIL  SUBVEY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY . 


are  not  used  to  any  extent,  but  tests  made  elsewhere  indicate 
that  this  soil  will  respond  with  profit  to  the  use  of  phosphate 
fertilizers. 


SUPERIOR  FINE  SANDY  LOAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  this  type  to  a depth  of  from  eight  to  ten 
inches  consists  of  a loose  friable  loam,  or  fine  sandy  loam  of  a 
dark  brown  color.  It  usually  becomes  somewhat  lighter  in  color 
and  coarser  in  texture  to  a depth  of  from  twelve  to  twenty 
inches  where  the  heavy  red  clay  characteristic  to  this  series  is 
found.  This  heavy  subsoil  frequently  contains  thin  seams  of 
fine  and  very  fine  sand,  and  in  places  it  is  also  common  to  find 
a very  small  amount  of  limestone  fragments  through  it.  The 
depth  of  the  heavy  subsoil  is  somewhat  variable  ranging  from 
eight  to  twenty-four  inches. 

This  soil  is  of  limited  extent,  and  most  of  the  areas,  all  of 
which  are  small,  are  scattered  through  the  towns  of  Center, 
Freedom,  Kaukauna,  Greenville  and  Grand  Chute. 

The  surface  of  this  soil  is  level,  with  only  a very  few  undula- 
tions. The  natural  drainage  is  somewhat  deficient  because  of 
the  heavy  subsoil,  but  is  somewhat  better  than  the  drainage  of 
the  heavier  types  of  this  series.  Tile  drains  could  be  profitably 
installed  over  a considerable  proportion  of  this  type,  however. 
The  original  timber  growth  consisted  largely  of  maple  birch, 
with  a small  amount  of  elm,  some  hemlock,  and  pine. 

The  greater  part  of  this  soil  has  been  cleared,  and  placed 
under  cultivation,  and  the  farm  crops  common  to  the  region 
are  being  grown  successfully  upon  it.  Because  of  its  limited 
extent,  there  are  but  few,  if  any,  farms  located  entirely  upon 
this  soil. 

In  the  improvement  of  Superior  fine  sandy  loam,  drainage  is 
a factor  which  must  be  considered  in  many  cases,  but  in  some 
instances  tile  drains  are  not  necessary. 

The  supplying  of  additional  organic  matter  should  be  con 
sidered,  however,  and  the  plowing  under  of  a legume  crop  wil 
greatly  assist  in  this  direction.* 


For  chemical  composition  and  improvement  of  this  soil,  see  page  36. 


Plate  II 


SHOWING  SURFACE  FEATURES  OF  SUPERIOR  FINE  SANDY  LOAM, 
ROLLING  PHASE. 

This  is  excellent  soil,  and  one  cf  the  extensive  types  in  the  county. 


SHOWING  SAND  BLOWN  INTO  LOW  DUNES  BY  THE  WIND. 

This  condition  is  not  extensive  in  Outagamie  Ciunty.  This  poor  sandy 
soil  shows  a very  marked  contrast  to  the  highly  improved  land  imme- 
diately adjacent  to  it. 


GROUP  OF  LOAMS  AND  FINE  SANDY  LOAMS. 


31 


SUPERIOR  FINE  SANDY  LOAM. 

ROLLING  PHASE. 

Extent  and  distribution.— This  soil  is  the  most  widely  dis- 
tributed type,  being  found  in  every  town  in  the  county.  It  is 
most  extensively  found  in  the  southwestern  quarter  of  the 
county,  and  predominates  in  the  towns  of  Dale,  the  western  part 
of  Hortonia,  and  Maple  Creek. 

Description. — The  surface  soil  to  an  average  depth  of  eight 
inches  is  a brown  to  a rather  dark  brown  mellow  fine  sandy 
loam.  Immediately  below  this  depth  the  color  becomes  some- 
what lighter,  frequently  being  a pale  yellow.  At  about  eighteen 
inches,  heavy  compact  red  clay  is  encountered.  This  continues 
to  a depth  which  is  undetermined,  but  which  is  always  much 
more  than  three  feet.  The  chief  variation  in  this  soil  is  in  the 
depth  of  the  sandy  material  over  the  red  clay.  This  may  range 
from  eight  to  about  twenty-four  inches.  There  is  also  some 
variation  in  the  texture  of  the  surface  material,  there  being  a 
few  places  which  could  be  classed  as  sandy  loam,  and  again 
where  it  approaches  a loam  in  texture.  Such  variations  are  too 
limited  to  be  indicated,  however. 

While  stones  are  not  common  on  this  soil,  a few  limestone 
bowlders  were  found.  Wherever  they  occur  in  sufficient  num- 
bers to  interfere  to  any  extent  with  farming  operations,  appro- 
priate symbols  have  been  placed  upon  the  soil  map.  In  the 
soil  section  and  chiefly  in  the  second  and  third  foot  below  the 
surface,  fragments  of  partially  decomposed  limestone  may  some- 
times be  found. 

Topography  and  drainage. — The  surface  of  this  soil  ranges 
from  undulating  to  rolling,  and  the  natural  drainage  is  good. 
The  drainage  is  much  better  on  this  soil  than  on  the  silt  and 
clay  loam  types. 

Present  agricultural  development. — While  there  are  still  a few 
wood  lots  on  this  soil,  by  far  the  greater  part  of  it  has  been 
cleared,  placed  under  cultivation,  and  is  now  in  highly  improved 
farms.  In  fact,  where  this  soil  predominates,  is  found  to  be 
some  of  the  most  highly  improved  and  prosperous  farming  com- 
munities in  the  county.  All  of  the  general  crops  common  to  the 
region  are  grown  successfully.  Potatoes  are  also  grown  more 
commonly  on  this  soil  than  on  the  heavier  types  of  the  region. 
Alfalfa  is  also  a crop  which  does  well,  and  which  is  being  grown 


32 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY. 


to  a larger  extent  every  year.  This  soil  is  adapted  to  a some- 
what wider  range  of  crops  than  the  heavier  soils,  and  is  more 
desirable  because  it  can  be  worked  under  a wider  range  of  mois- 
ture conditions.  Its  sandy  surface  permits  it  to  drain  out  and 
warm  up  earlier  in  the  season ; so  crops  on  this  soil  will  fre- 
quently have  a week  or  ten  days  and  sometimes  even  more  ad- 
vantage over  crops  grown  on  the  heavy,  and  especially,  heavy 
and  level  soils.* 

MIAMI  LOAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  this  type  consists  of  a brown  or  dark  brown 
friable  mellow  loam  extending  to  a depth  of  about  eight  inches. 
The  subsoil  usually  consists  of  a fine  sandy  loam  carrying  a small 
amount  of  fine  gravel.  The  underlying  rock  is  frequently  found 
at  a depth  of  from  fifteen  to  thirty  inches,  and  frequently  im- 
mediately above  the  rock  there  is  a layer  of  heavy  somewhat 
reddish  material  which  is  probably  residual  from  limestone.  This 
soil  is  quite  variable,  ranging  from  a silt  loam  to  a fine  sandy 
loam  which  is  inclined  in  places  to  be  somewhat  gravelly.  The 
subsoil  is  also  variable,  ranging  from  a sandy  loam  to  a loam  or 
even  a clay  loam.  This  type  is  of  very  limited  extent  and  of 
minor  importance.  It  occupies  considerably  less  than  one  square 
mile,  and  probably  the  most  important  area  is  found  near  the 
center  of  the  town  of  Freedom.  Only  a few  other  scattered 
areas  occur  in  the  county. 

The  surface  is  gently  rolling,  and  the  natural  drainage  is 
good.  The  soil  is  of  glacial  origin,  and  the  native  timber  growth 
is  practically  the  same  as  on  the  Superior  soils. 

This  is  an  excellent  agricultural  soil,  but  because  of  its  lim- 
ited extent,  but  few  if  any  farms  are  located  entirely  upon  it. 

In  its  crop  producing  power  and  general  agricultural  value, 
it  compares  very  favorably  with  the  best  soils  of  the  Superior 
series.* 


MIAMI  FINE  SANDY  LOAM. 

Extent  and  distribution. — The  largest  area  of  this  soil  is 
found  near  the  center  of  the  county  from  three  to  seven  miles 


•For  data  on  chemical  composition  and  fertility,  see  page  36. 


GROUP  OF  LOAMS  AND  FINE  SANDY  LOAMS. 


33 


southwest  of  Black  Creek  in  the  towns  of  Black  Creek,  Bovina, 
and  Ellington.  The  total  area  is  approximately  ten  square 
miles.  Aside  from  this  rather  extensive  tract  there  are  numer- 
ous other  scattered  areas  of  very  limited  extent. 

Description. — The  surface  soil  of  this  type  to  a depth  of  about 
ten  inches  consists  of  a brown  to  grayish-brown  mellow  fine  sandy 
loam.  The  subsoil  becomes  somewhat  lighter  in  color,  and 
usually  a little  coarser  in  texture  with  depth.  At  twenty  to 
twenty-four  inches  it  is  usually  a yellowish  fine  sand  or  fine 
sandy  loam  which  may  contain  considerable  fine  gravel  and  lime- 
stone particles. 

The  surface  soil  is  inclined  to  be  somewhat  variable,  but  in 
most  instances  it  can  be  classed  as  a fine  sandy  loam.  In  a num- 
ber of  places  there  is  considerable  gravel  on  the  surface  and 
where  this  is  the  case,  symbols  have  been  used  to  show  this  con- 
dition. Wherever  bowlders  occur  on  the  surface  in  sufficient 
numbers  to  interfere  with  farm  operations,  these  have  also  been 
shown  by  symbols. 

There  is  also  some  variation  in  the  subsoil.  A material  of  a 
loam  of  clay  loam  texture  is  sometimes  found  in  the  lower  depths. 

Topography  and  drainage. — The  surface  of  this  soil  ranges 
from  undulating  to  gently  rolling,  and  in  a few  cases  it  is  some- 
what irregular  or  bumpy.  In  a few  instances,  the  underlying 
rock  occurs  rather  close  to  the  surface,  as  for  example,  directly 
north  of  Stevensville  where  there  is  quite  an  elevation,  the  core 
of  the  hill  being  made  up  of*  limestone.  Because  of  the  uneven 
surface  features  and  the  rather  open  subsoil,  the  natural  drain- 
age of  this  soil  is  good. 

Present  agricultural  development. — ^Practically  all  of  the 
timber  has  been  removed,  and  most  of  the  type  is  now  in  well 
improved  farms.  This  is  a soil  which  is  easily  cultivated,  and 
one  which  has  a fair  to  good  agricultural  value.  All  of  the 
general  farm  crops  common  to  this  region  are  successfully  grown 
upon  it,  and  the  yields  secured  compare  favorably  with  those 
obtained  upon  the  Superior  fine  sandy  loam,  rolling  phase.  The 
general  farm  processes  followed,  the  rotations,  methods  of  agri- 
culture, fertilizers,  etc.,  and  the  lines  along  which  this  soil  could 
be  best  improved  are  practically  the  same  as  for  the  Superior 
fine  sandy  loam,  rolling  phase. 


♦For  data  on  chemical  composition  and  fertility  of  this  soil,  see  page 


34 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY . 


ANTIGO  FINE  SANDY  LOAM. 

Extent  and  distribution. — This  type  is  closely  associated  with 
the  Antigo  loam,  but  is  a little  greater  in  extent.  It  is  confined 
to  the  northwestern  part  of  the  county  where  it  is  found  in  the 
broad  flat  plains  bordering  the  Embarrass,  Wolf,  and  Shioc 
Rivers.  A large  area  occurs  in  Deer  Creek  Township,  northeast 
of  Bear  Creek,  and  another  in  Bovina  Township  north  of  Shioc- 
ton.  The  former  is  a little  lighter  in  texture  than  the  typical. 

Because  of  its  very  limited  extent,  there  has  been  included 
with  the  Antigo  fine  sandy  loam  a few  small  areas  of  Fox  fine 
sandy  loam.  The  most  important  tract  is  found  in  section  7 in 
the  town  of  Dale.  It  differs  from  the  Antigo  type  chiefly  in 
being  somewhat  coarser  in  texture,  and  also  in  having  a some- 
what different  origin,  it  having  been  derived  from  glaciated  lime- 
stone material.  It  may  have  a slightly  higher  agricultural  value 
than  the  Antigo  since  it  is  seldom  acid,  while  most  of  the  Antigo 
soils  are  acid. 

Description. — The  surface  soil  of  the  Antigo  fine  sandy  loam 
to  a depth  of  from  six  to  eight  inches  is  a brown  to  dark  brown, 
loose,  friable  very  fine  sandy  loam  free  from  stones,  and  gravel 
and  carrying  a fair  amount  of  organic  matter. 

The  subsoil  grades  very  rapidly  into  a yellowish  brown  to 
pale  yellow  very  fine  sand  of  undetermined  depth. 

Topography  and  drainage. —The  topography  of.  the  Antigo 
fine  sandy  loam  is  flat  to  very  gently  undulating.  The  surface 
is  only  a few  feet  above  the  usual  high  water  mark  of  the  neigh- 
boring streams ; so  after  unusually  heavy  rains  some  of  this  type 
is  subject  to  overflow.  Owing  to  the  loose  character  of  the  soil 
and  the  sandy  subsoil,  the  drainage  is  fairly  good.  However, 
when  the  water  in  the  streams  is  high,  the  water  table  of  the  soil 
is  close  to  the  surface. 

Present  agricultural  development. — #It  is  a good  agricultural 
soil.  Over  ninety  per  cent  of  this  type  is  under  cultivation. 
General  farming  and  dairying  are  the  prevailing  forms  of  agri- 
culture, although  in  the  vicinity  of  Shiocton  truck  farming  has 
come  into  prominence.  Of  the  general  farm  crops,  hay,  oats, 
corn,  barley,  and  rye  are  the  most  common.  Hay  does  not  yield 
quite  as  well  as  on  the  Antigo  loam  although  yields  of  from  1 y2 

•For  data  on  chemical  composition  and  fertility  of  this  soil,  see  page 
36. 


GBOJJP  OF  LOAMS  AND  FINE  SANDY  LOAMS. 


35 


to  3 tons  per  acre  per  year  are  not  unusual  where  good  prac- 
tices are  followed.  Oats  yield  a little  less  than  on  the  Antigo 
loam,  average  yields  being  from  thirty  to  fifty  bushels  per  acre. 
A rotation  similar  to  that  used  on  the  Antigo  loam  is  practiced 
by  the  farmers  on  the  type.  Potatoes  are  grown  to  some  extent, 
and  yield  from  100  to  150  bushels  per  acre. 

Of  the  special  crops  grown,  cabbage,  sugar  beets,  and  onions 
are  by  far  the  most  important.  Of  these  cabbage  ranks  first. 
Where  good  farm  practices  are  followed,  average  yields  of  from 
eight  to  twelve  tons  per  acre  are  obtained.  Sugar  beets  yield 
from  six  to  twelve  tons  per  acre,  and  onions  from  150  to  350 
bushels  per  acre. 

The  Antigo  fine  sandy  loam  is  very  easy  to  cultivate,  and  ex- 
cept under  very  unfavorable  moisture  conditions  no  difficulty  is 
experienced  in  the  preparation  of  a good  seed  bed. 

ANTIGO  LOAM. 

Extent  and  distribution. — The  Antigo  loam  is  closely  associ- 
ated with  the  Antigo  fine  sandy  loam,  although  it  is  of  smaller 
extent.  It  is  confined  to  the  northwestern  part  of  the  county, 
where  it  is  found  in  the  broad  flat  plains  bordering  the  Em- 
barrass, Wolf,  and  Shioc  Rivers.  The  largest  areas  occur  in 
Deer  Creek  and  Maple  Creek  Townships. 

Description. — The  surface  soil  of  the  Antigo  loam  for  about 
eight  to  ten  inches  is  a dark  brown  friable  loam  free  from  stones 
and  gravel,  and  carrying  a large  percentage  of  very  fine  sand 
with  considerable  organic  matter.  The  subsoil  grades  rapidly 
into  a yellowish-brown  very  fine  sand  which  becomes  a pale  yel- 
low at  about  twenty-four  inches.  This  continues  to  below  four 
feet. 

In  places  the  soil  becomes  nearly  $ silt  loam,  and  where  this 
is  the  case,  the  sandy  subsoil  is  not  encountered  until  about 
twenty-four  inches.  A small  area  of  the  heavier  phase  is  lo- 
cated just  southwest  of  Helena,  and  another  southeast  of  Bear 
Creek  in  Deer  Creek  Township. 

Topography  and  drainage. — In  topography  the  Antigo  loam  is 
flat,  to  very  gently  undulating.  The  surface  is  only  a few  feet 
above  the  usual  high  water  mark  of  the  neighboring  streams ; so 
after  unusually  heavy  rains,  portions  of  this  type  are  inundated. 

Owing  to  the  sandy  character  of  the  subsoil  the  drainage  is 


36 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY. 


usually  fairly  good,  except  when  the  rivers  are  high.  At  these 
times  the  water  table  is  close  to  the  surface. 

Present  agricultural  development. — Practically  all  of  this  type 
is  under  cultivation.  General  farming  and  dairying  are  the  pre- 
vailing forms  of  agriculture.  The  soil  is  well  adapted  to  hay 
and  oats,  while  all  of  the  general  farm  crops  common  to  the 
region  do  fairly  well.  It  is  not  as  well  adapted  to  potatoes  r 
is  the  Antigo  fine  sandy  loam.  Corn  does  not  do  well  after 
wet  spring  as  the  ground  remains  cold  until  late  in  the  season, 
and  the  h.'gh  water  table  retards  the  development  of  the  root 
system. 

Of  the  special  crops,  cabbage  and  sugar  beets  are  yielding  the 
growers  satisfactory  returns.  Cabbage  yields  from  eight  to  fif 
teen  tons  and  sugar  beets  six  to  twelve  tons  an  acre. 

Where  good  methods  of  farming  are  being  followed  the  pro- 
ductivity of  the  soil  is  gradually  being  increased,  but  where 
careless  methods  are  practiced,  the  yields  are  gradually  declin- 
ing. Spring  wheat  was  formerly  grown  with  good  success,  but 
the  yields  became  poorer  and  poorer  until  the  crop  was  finally 
abandoned  over  most  of  the  area.  Good  farmers  practice  a ro- 
tation consisting  of  corn,  followed  by  a small  grain,  such  as 
oats,  or  barley,  and  then  seeding  with  clover  and  timothy.  Hay 
is  cut  for  one  or  two  years,  and  is  usually  pastured  a year,  after 
which  it  is  manured  and  then  plowed  for  corn. 

The  Antigo  loam  is  comparatively  easy  to  cultivate  and  when 
worked  under  favorable  moisture  conditions,  no  difficulty  is  ex- 
perienced in  securing  a good  seed  bed.  It  is  usually  best  to  fall 
plow,  for  if  the  spring  is  wet,  some  difficulty  may  be  experienced 
in  getting  the  crop  sown  on  time. 

CHEMICAL  COMPOSITION  AND  FERTILITY  OF  LOAMS  AND  FINE  SANDY 

LOAMS. 

These  soils  are  only  a little  more  open  in  texture  than  the  silt 
and  clay  loam  types.  They  have  a good  water-holding  capacity 
and  will  support  very  good  pasture,  but  the  somewhat  higher 
percentage  of  fine  sand  which  they  contain  reduces  the  water 
content  of  the  surface  somewhat  so  that  they  warm  up  more 
readily  in  the  spring  and  have  less  tendency  to  bake  and  crack 
than  the  heavier  soils.  These  qualities  make  them  better  adapted 
to  such  crops  as  corn  and  potatoes  than  are  the  heavier  soils. 


GROUP  OF  LOAMS  AND  FINE  SANDY  LOAMS. 


37 


The  total  amount  of  the  plant  food  elements,  phosphorus  and 
potassium,  is  nearly  if  not  quite  as  large  in  the  fine  sandy  loams 
as  in  the  silt  loams.  However,  they  have  rather  less  organic 
matter,  and  this,  together  with  the  somewhat  coarser  texture, 
results  in  a slower  rate  of  chemical  change  by  which  the  inert 
plant  food  of  the  soil  becomes  available  to  crops.  For  this  rea- 
son the  increase  in  the  supply  of  active  or  fresh  organic  matter 
and  the  use  of  available  plant  food  either  in  the  form  of  stable 
manure  or  of  commercial  fertilizers  becomes  more  important  and 
especially  wheq  crops  such  as  potatoes  which  are  sold  from  the 
farm,  and  of  which  heavy  yields  must  be  grown  to  be  profitable, 
are  produced. 

The  increase  in  the  supply  of  active  organic  matter  is  of  the 
utmost  importance.  A high  degree  of  fertility  cannot  be  main- 
tained in  these  soils  unless  about  twice  as  large  an  amount  of 
organic  matter  is  developed  in  them  as  that  which  they  originally 
have.  The  plowing  under  of  legumes,  such  as  a second  crop  of 
clover  or  a crop  of  soybeans,  is  the  best  method  of  producing 
this  result.  The  application  of  phosphorus  and  potassium  fer- 
tilizers can  best  be  made  for  these  crops,  since  it  secures  a much 
larger  growth  of  these  crops  themselves  and  becomes  available 
through  their  decomposition  to  the  following  crops  of  corn  or 
potatoes. 

The  degree  of  acidity  in  the  Antigo  soils  is  seldom  more  than 
“slight”  in  the  new  soil,  but  increases  as  the  land  is  cropped 
from  year  to  year.  This  acidity  does  not  affect  the  growth  of 
all  crops  directly,  but  makes  it  more  difficult  to  maintain  a good 
degree  of  fertility.  This  is  true  because  it  is  a condition  un- 
favorable to  the  continued  growth  of  the  best  legumes — clover 
and  alfalfa.  The  slight  degree  of  acidity  does  not  interfere  with 
the  growth  of  clover  while  the  soil  is  comparatively  new,  but 
does  reduce  the  yields  as  the  fertility  is  reduced  by  further  crop- 
ping and  even  in  the  virgin  condition  acidity  interferes  with  the 
growth  of  alfalfa.  It  is  also  a condition  unfavorable  to  the 
maintenance  of  a good  supply  of  readily  available  phosphorus 
in  the  soil.  These  objections  are  probably  not  sufficient  to  make 
necessary  the  use  of  lime  to  correct  the  acidity  on  all  of  the 
land  under  cultivation  for  a number  of  years,  but  does  make 
it  desirable  that  farmers  wishing  to  grow  alfalfa  should  lime 
as  well  as  inoculate  the  soil  for  this  crop,  and  also  to  watch  the 
growth  of  clover  carefully  from  year  to  year,  so  as  to  begin  the 


38 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY. 


use  of  lime  on  the  fields  as  they  are  sown  to  clover  as  soon  as  it 
becomes  difficult  to  secure  a good  stand. 

The  Superior  and  Miami  soils  of  this  group  have  been  derived 
from  materials  which  contain  varying  amounts  of  lime  carbon- 
ate. The  subsoils  are  usually  well  supplied  with  lime,  but  the 
surface  soils  frequently  show  varying  degrees  of  acidity,  due 
partly  to  the  long  period  of  leaching  to  which  they  have  been 
subjected.  The  degree  of  acidity  is  seldom  as  great  as  on  the 
Antigo  soils,  however. 

These  types  of  soils  are  well  adapted  to  general  farming  and 
some  special  crops  such  as  potatoes  can  also  be  grown  to  good 
advantage.  These  soils  which  are  of  intermediate  texture  are 
better  adapted  to  potato  culture  than  are  the  heavier  types  on 
the  one  hand  or  the  light  sandy  soils  on  the  other.  It  is  neces- 
sary to  give  these  soils  somewhat  more  attention  to  maintain 
their  fertility  than  the  heavier  types  partly  because  they  are 
lower  in  fertility,  but  more  because  of  the  fact  that  these  special 
crops  require  a higher  degree  of  fertility  to  produce  satisfactory 
yields.  When  these  soils  are  used  for  special  crops  the  fertility 
can  best  be  maintained  by  rather  heavy  applications  of  stable 
manure,  or  through  the  use  of  a rotation  in  which  a legume  is 
grown  as  the  means  of  securing  the  organic  matter  and  nitrogen, 
while  the  other  elements  chiefly  phosphorus  and  potassium,  are 
supplied  in  the  form  of  commercial  fertilizers.  When  the  latter 
system  is  used  one-third  or  one-fourth  of  the  land  should  be 
sown  to  a legume  and  a part  of  the  commercial  fertilizer  used 
on  this  crop.  The  fertility  used  in  this  way  would  become 
available  to  succeeding  crops  through  the  decomposition  of  the 
legume  when  plowed  under.  The  remainder  of  the  fertilizer 
would  be  applied  at  the  time  of  fitting  the  soil  for  the  succeeding 
crops. 


GROUP  OF  FINE  SANDY  SOILS. 


39 


CHAPTER  IV. 

GROUP  OF  FINE  SANDY  SOILS. 

COLOMA  FINE  SAND. 

Extent  and  distribution . — This  type  is  comparatively  small  in 
extent,  and  of  minor  importance  from  an  agricultural  stand- 
point. It  is  mainly  confined  to  the  northwestern  part  of  the 
county,  the  chief  areas  occurring  in  the  vicinity  of  Hortonville 
and  Stephensville.  Other  small  isolated  areas  are  found  scat- 
tered throughout  the  county,  usually  occurring  as  small  hilltops 
or  ridges. 

Description. — The  surface  soil  of  the  Coloma  fine  sand  to  a 
depth  of  from  eight  to  twelve  inches  is  a grayish  brown  loose, 
open  fine  sand,  containing  but  little  organic  matter.  The  sub 
soil  is  a loose  fine  sand  continuing  to  over  three  feet,  and  grading 
from  a light  brown  to  a yellowish  brown  or  pale  yellow  in  the 
lower  depths.  Gravel  beds  covered  by  a thin  mantle  of  surface 
soil  are  often  found  throughout  the  type. 

The  organic  matter  content  varies  over  different  sections  of 
the  type,  being  higher  in  the  depressions  where  the  moisture  con- 
ditions have  favored  an  accumulation  of  humus-forming  mate- 
rial. Dunes  formed  by  wind  blown  sand  are  occasionally  found. 

There  are  several  variations  which  have  been  included  with 
this  soil,  but  which,  had  they  been  of  any  important  extent, 
would  have  been  mapped  as  separate  types.  In  the  northwest- 
ern part  of  the  county,  chiefly  in  the  town  of  Maine,  there  are 
numerous  small  tracts  of  light-colored  soil  which  has  a very  fine 
sandy  texture.  It  is  loose  and  open  in  structure,  and  usually 
entirely  free  from  stones  and  gravel.  The  subsoil  is  a yellowish 
brown  or  yellow  very  fine  sand  which  extends  to  an  undetermined 
depth.  This  material  differs  from  the  typical  Coloma  fine  sand 
only  in  being  finer  in  texture.  Because  of  this  finer  texture,  it 
probably  has  a somewhat  higher  agricultural  value,  although 
this  is  not  apparent  from  the  crop  yields  which  are  now  being 
secured. 


40 


SOIL  SUBVEY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY. 


Another  variation  occurs  in  the  town  of  Liberty  in  sections  13 
and  14,  and  also  in  a number  of  other  localities,  but  always  in 
small  patches.  This  soil  is  the  same  as  the  .Coloma  fine  sand  to 
a depth  of  24  to  36  inches  where  it  is  underlain  by  the  red  clay 
typical  of  the  Superior  series.  Because  of  this  underlying  clay, 
this  phase  is  a better  soil  than  the  typical,  and  would  have  been 
mapped  as  the  Superior  fine  sand  or  fine  sandy  loam,  rolling 
phase,  had  it  been  of  sufficient  extent. 

Topography  and  drainage . — The  topography  of  this  type 
ranges  from  undulating  to  hilly.  On  account  of  its  loose,  open 
structure,  the  natural  drainage  is  somewhat  excessive,  and  the 
type  is  very  liable  to  suffer  from  drought  except  during  seasons 
of  excessive  rainfall. 

Present  agricultural  development. — #Over  seventy-five  per 
cent  of  the  Coloma  fine  sand  is  under  cultivation  to  the  general 
farm  crops  common  to  this  region.  Corn  gives  an  average  yield 
of  about  twenty  bushels,  oats  fifteen  to  twenty  bushels,  rye 
twelve  bushels,  timothy  and  clover  three-fourths  to  one  ton,  and 
potatoes  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  bushels  an  acre.  By  careful 
cultivation,  rotation,  and  fertilization,  these  yields  have  been 
more  than  doubled  by  some  farmers. 

Over  most  of  this  type  but  little  attention  is  given  to  the  se- 
lection of  a rotation  particularly  adapted ' to  this  soil.  The 
methods  of  cultivation  are  similar  to  those  followed  on  other 
sandy  types  of  the  county.  The  soil  is  loose  and  open,  and  is 
very  easily  cultivated. 

It  may  be  said  of  this  type  as  a whole  that  the  methods  now 
followed  upon  it  are  not  such  as  tend  to  increase  its  productiv- 
ity, although  there  are  exceptions  where  more  up-to-date  meth- 
ods are  being  practiced. 

COLOMA  FINE  SANDY  LOAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  this  type  to  an  average  depth  of  eight  to 
ten  inches  consists  of  a light  brown  to  grayish  brown  fine  sandy 
loam,  which  rests  upon  a subsoil  of  about  the  same  texture,  but 
having  a somewhat  lighter  color.  In  the  lower  depths,  the  ma- 
terial is  usually  a fine  yellow  sand,  with  which  varying  amounts 
of  fine  gravel  may  be  found.  The  material  is  quite  uniform  in 
texture,  and  is  stone  free. 


•For  chemical  composition  and  fertility  of  this  soil  see  page  42. 


GROUP  OF  FINE  SANDY  SOILS. 


41 


The  type  is  of  limited  extent  and  of  minor  importance.  It 
occurs  in  small  scattered  tracts,  the  most  important  of  which  are 
found  in  Grand  Chute  and  Maine  Townships. 

The  surface  is  undulating  to  gently  rolling  and  because  of  the 
sandy  nature  of  the  material  the  natural  drainage  is  good  and 
frequently  excessive. 

The  original  timber  growth  was  mixed  pine  and  hardwood, 
with  hardwoods  predominating.  Practically  all  of  the  original 
timber  has  been  removed. 

This  is  a soil  of  only  medium  to  fair  agricultural  value.  It  is 
deficient  in  organic  matter  and  mineral  plant  foods,  but  its  tex- 
ture is  such  that  by  growing  green  manuring  crops,  following 
good  crop  rotations,  and  using  proper  fertilizers  it  can  be  built 
up  into  a profitably  producing  soil.  Small  grain,  clover,  and 
potatoes  are  a good  rotation  for  this  kind  of  land,  with  the  second 
crop  of  clover  plowed  down.  Liming  will  help  in  getting  clover 
started  and  commercial  fertilizers  can  also  be  used  with  profit. 
A 2-10-4  will  give  good  results.  From  150  to  200  pounds  per 
acre  should  be  applied  to  corn  or  small  grain  crops.  Potatoes 
should  have  larger  applications. 

This  soil  has  been  included  with  the  group  of  fine  sands  be- 
cause in  its  agricultural  value  it  more  nearly  approaches  these 
soils  than  the  group  of  loams  and  fine  sandy  loams,  which  usually 
have  heavy  subsoils. 

PLAINFIELD  FINE  SAND. 

The  surface  soil  of  this  type  to  an  average  depth  of  eight 
inches  consists  of  a loose,  grayish-brown,  very  fine  sand  which 
contains  but  little  organic  matter.  It  is  entirely  free  from 
gravel  and  stones.  Below  eight  inches  the  material  becomes 
lighter  in  color,  usually  being  a pale  yellow  or  yellowish-brown. 
The  texture  continues  a very  fine  sand  to  undetermined  depth. 

This  soil  is  of  very  limited  extent,  but  is  found  in  a number  of 
small  tracts  in  several  regions,  chiefly  in  Maine,  Deer  Creek,  and 
Bovina  Townships. 

The  surface  is  level  or  only  gently  undulating  with  some  minor 
irregularities  caused  by  wind  action.  In  many  places  the  water 
table  is  not  far  below  the  surface,  so  that  during  part  of  the 
year  the  drainage  is  none  too  good.  When  the  streams  are  low, 
the  loose,  open  character  of  the  material  permits  the  free  move- 
ment of  water  through  the  soil,  and  the  type  often  suffers  from 
lack  of  moisture  during  the  dry  portion  of  the  summer. 


42 


SOIL  SUBVEY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY. 


This  soil  is  of  minor  importance  because  of  its  limited  extent 
and  also  because  of  its  rather  low  value  from  the  standpoint  of 
crop  production.  While  part  of  it  is  under  cultivation,  the  yields 
are  low.  It  is  low  in  organic  matter,  and  the  mineral  plant  food 
elements. 

CHEMICAL  COMPOSITION  AND  FERTILITY  OF  FINE  SANDS 

These  soils  have  intermediate  texture  and  hence  have  moderate 
water-holding  capacity.  They  are  not  fine  enough  to  be  especial- 
ly well  adapted  to  grasses  for  pasture,  though  a fair  quality  of 
pasturage  can  be  secured  on  the  heavier  phases  of  these  soils. 
The  more  deeply  rcoted  crops,  such  as  clover,  rye,  corn,  and 
potatoes,  find  sufficient  moisture  during  average  seasons  and 
suffer  from  drought  only  during  periods  of  relatively  low  rain- 
fall. 

In  chemical  composition  these  soils  are  also  of  an  intermediate 
character.  The  total  phosphorus  averages  from  850  to  900 
pounds.  The  total  potassium  of  the  surface  eight  inches  per 
acre  is  approximately  25,000  pounds  or  but  little  over  one-half 
of  that  found  in  heavier  soils  such  as  the  Superior  silt  loam. 
The  organic  matter  of  these  soils  is  also  comparatively  low,  aver- 
aging from  2.5  to  3.0  per  cent  in  the  surface  eight  inches  and 
from  one  to  two  per  cent  in  the  second  eight  inches.  They  have 
a correspondingly  low  nitrogen  content  averaging  from  1,000  to 
1,500  pounds  in  the  surface  eight  inches.  This  organic  matter 
is  largely  in  the  form  of  leaf -mold  and  fine  roots,  and  it  decom- 
poses quickly  when  the  surface  is  first  broken,  furnishing  a lim- 
ited supply  of  nitrogen  for  a growth  of  crops.  However,  it  is 
exhausted  with  comparative  readiness  and  the  most  important 
point  in  the  management  of  all  of  these  soils  is  to  follow  methods 
which  will  maintain  and  increase  the  organic  matter.  In  the 
virgin  condition  these  soils  are  but  slightly  acid  as  a rule,  but 
with  continued  cropping  the  acidity  increases,  and  for  the  best 
growth  of  clover  and  especially  alfalfa  liming  is  essential.  This 
use  of  lime  not  only  makes  the  soil  more  suitable  for  the  growth 
of  alfalfa  and  clover,  but  assists  in  preventing  the  leaching  of 
phosphorus  and  maintaining  it  in  a form  which  is  available  for 
growing  crops. 

The  management  of  these  soils  to  maintain  the  fertility  will 
depend  to  a considerable  extent  on  the  crops  grown,  and  on 
whether  or  not  stock  is  maintained  to  which  the  produce  of  the 
farm  is  fed.  When  dairying  or  other  live  stock  farming  is  prac- 


GROUP  OF  FINE  SANDY  SOILS. 


43 


ticed  it  will  be  less  difficult  to  maintain  the  supply  of  the  essen- 
tial elements  of  plant  food — phosphorus,  potassium,  and  nitro- 
gen. But  even  when  stock  is  maintained  it  is  very  probable 
that  the  moderate  use  of  some  form  of  phosphorus  fertilizers 
will  be  found  profitable,  and  some  means  for  increasing  the  or- 
ganic matter  in  addition  to  the  use  of  stable  manure  should  be 
made  use  of  as  far  as  practicable.  The  growth  of  a crop  of 
soybeans  or  clover,  occasionally,  all  of  which  is  to  be  plowed 
under  as  a green  manuring  crop,  will  be  found  very  profitable 
in  its  effect  on  the  succeeding  crop  of  corn  or  grain. 

When  these  soils  are  used  for  the  growing  of  potatoes  or  other 
special  crops  to  a considerable  extent  the  use  of  commercial  fer- 
tilizers containing  phosphorus  and  potassium  will  be  found  nec- 
essary to  maintain  the  soil  productivity.  Clover  or  some  other 
legume  must  be  grown  regularly  in  the  rotation  to  maintain  the 
nitrogen  and  organic  matter,  and  part  or  all  of  this  should  be 
plowed  under.  It  is  often  desirable  to  use  the  commercial  fertil- 
izers containing  phosphorus  and  potassium  in  older  to  secure  a 
good  growth  of  this  clover,  and  there  is  little  loss  in  so  doing, 
since  essentially  all  of  the  phosphorus  and  potassium  applied 
to  the  soil  for  the  clover  becomes  available  to  the  succeeding 
crop  through  the  decomposition  of  the  organic  matter. 

The  use  of  lime  in  some  form  and  also  the  inoculation  of  the 
soil  is  of  the  utmost  importance  when  alfalfa  is  to  be  grown,  and 
will  be  found  helpful  on  the  older  fields  even  for  the  growth  of 
medium  red  or  mammoth  clover. 

While  the  use  of  commercial  fertilizers  containing  phosphorus 
and  potassium  is  desirable  in  the  management  of  these  soils,  it 
must  not  be  considered  that  this  is  an  indication  that  they  have 
less  value  than  heavier  soils  which  are  relatively  higher  in  these 
elements,  for  the  growth  of  potatoes  and  other  special  crops. 
The  fact  that  these  soils  become  dry  and  warm  early  in  the  sea- 
son makes  them  less  subject  to  local  frosts  and  the  finer  tilth 
which  these  fine  sands  develop  fit  them  especially  well  for  the 
growth  of  potatoes  and  some  other  root  crops,  since  they  are 
practically  free  from  checking  and  cracking.  The  cost  of  these 
fertilizers  is  a comparatively  small  part  of  the  total  cost  of 
growing  these  crops.  For  further  suggestions  on  the  manage- 
ment of  these  soils  and  for  information  regarding  source  and 
use  of  fertilizers  consult  Bulletins  204,  230  and  341  of  the  Ex- 
periment Station. 


44 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER  Y. 

GROUP  OF  POORLY  DRAINED  SOILS. 

POYGAN  CLAY  LOAM. 

This  type  is  of  very  small  extent.  Small  areas  are  found  near 
the  center  and  southeastern  parts  of  the  county,  the  largest  of 
these  occurring  north  of  Stephensville  in  Ellington  Township. 
It  is  closely  associated  with  the  Superior  clay  loam  and  silt 
loam,  and  occupies  depressions  and  low,  gently  sloping  areas 
bordering  streams. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Poygan  clay  loam  to  a depth  of  from 
eight  to  fifteen  inches  is  a dark  brown  to  black,  sticky  compact 
clay  loam,  rich  in  organic  matter.  The  subsoil  becomes  lighter 
in  color  for  a few  inches  before  grading  into  pinkish-red  clay  at 
from  fifteen  to  twenty  inches.  This  clay  is  very  compact  and 
tenacious  and  extends  to  an  undetermined  depth. 

In  topography  the  Poygan  clay  loam  is  flat  to  gently  sloping. 
The  surface  is  low  which  coupled  with  the  impervious  character 
of  the  subsoil  makes  the  natural  drainage  very  poor. 

Less  than  half  of  this  type  is  under  cultivation.  The  greater 
part  of  it  is  badly  in  need  of  drainage,  and  in  its  present  con- 
dition is  valuable  only  as  pasture  and  for  the  marsh  hay  which 
may  be  cut.  Where  the  type  has  been  properly  drained,  it  has 
a high  agricultural  value.  It  is  especially  adapted  to  hay  and 
small  grains,  while  corn  and  other  crops  common  to  the  region 
do  well.  It  is  rather  heavy  for  potatoes,  but  cabbage  and  sugar 
beets  are  grown  with  fair  success. 

POYGAN  SILT  LOAM. 

No  areas  of  Poygan  silt  loam  of  any  great  extent  are  found, 
although  small  patches  of  the  type  occur  scattered  throughout 
practically  every  township  in  the  county.  It  is  closely  associ- 


GEOUP  OF  POOELY  VEAINED  SOILS. 


45 


ated  with  the  soils  of  the  Superior  series,  and  occupies  depres- 
sions and  flat  areas  bordering  streams  and  marshes. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Poygan  silt  loam  to  a depth  of  from 
eight  to  ten  inches  is  a dark  brown  to  black  sticky,  compact  silt 
loam,  rich  in  organic  matter.  The  subsoil  becomes  lighter  in 
color  for  a few  inches  before  grading  into  the  heavy  tenacious 
red  clay  subsoil  at  from  twelve  to  fifteen  inches. 

In  places  the  red  color  of  the  subsoil  may  entirely  disappear, 
but  the  texture  and  other  characteristics  remain  the  same.  The 
blue  clay  subsoil  areas  are  too  small  to  be  mapped  out  separately. 

In  topography  the  type  is  flat  to  gently  sloping.  The  surface 
is  low,  and  the  subsoil  is  quite  impervious  to  water  which  makes 
the  natural  drainage  very  poor. 

The  original  forest  growth  consisted  principally  of  black  ash, 
elm,  maple,  with  some  oak,  hickory,  poplar,  birch,  alders,  etc. 
In  most  places  the  valuable  timber  has  been  removed. 

Very  little  of  this  type  is  under  cultivation.  The  greater  part 
of  it  is  badly  in  need  of  drainage ; so  in  its  present  condition,  it 
is  valuable  chiefly  as  pasture  land.  Where  the  type  has  been 
properly  drained,  it  has  a high  agricultural  value.  It  is  not 
well  adapted  to  potatoes,  but  other  crops  common  to  the  region 
and  small  grains,  grasses,  cabbage,  sugar  beets,  etc.,  do  well.* 

POYGAN  FINE  SANDY  LOAM. 

This  type  is  of  very  small  extent.  It  is  usually  associated 
with  the  Poygan  silt  loam,  or  the  Superior  fine  sandy  loam. 
Small  isolated  areas  are  found  scattered  throughout  the  county 
where  it  occupies  depressions  and  gentle  slopes  bordering 
streams  or  marshes. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Poygan  fine  sandy  loam  to  a depth  of 
about  seven  inches  is  a dark  brown  to  black,  friable  mellow,  fine 
sandy  loam,  carrying  a relatively  high  per  cent  of  organic  mat- 
ter. The  subsoil  for  three  or  four  inches  usually  is  a fine  sand, 
to  very  light  fine  sandy  loam,  which  then  grades  into  a pinkish- 
red  clay  loam  to  clay. 

The  topography  of  the  type  is  flat  to  gently  sloping.  The 
surface  is  low  and  the  natural  drainage  is  poor. 

♦For  data  on  chemical  composition  and  improvement  of  this  soil,  see 
page  46. 


46 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY. 


The  timber  growth  consisted  of  ash,  elm,  maple,  with  some 
oak,  hickory,  birch,  willow,  poplar,  alders,  etc.  The  best  timber 
has  been  removed.  But  very  little  of  this  type  is  under  culti- 
vation. When  well  drained,  it  yields  fair  results  when  the  crops 
common  to  the  region  are  grown.  It  is  an  easier  soil  to  handle 
than  the  Poygan  silt  loam  and  clay  loam,  but  the  yields,  especial- 
ly of  grains  and  hay,  are  not  as  large. 

CHEMICAL  COMPOSITION  AND  FERTILITY  OF  POYGAN  CLAY  LOAM,  SILT 
LOAM,  AND  FINE  SANDY  LOAM. 

These  soils  have  relatively  large  amounts  of  organic  matter 
accumulated  as  a result  of  poor  drainage.  The  supply  of  phos- 
phorus is  usually  fairly  high,  but  in  some  cases  it  is  not  readily 
available.  Its  availability  will  depend  largely  upon  the  rate  of 
decomposition  of  the  organic  matter.  The  total  amount  of  po- 
tassium is  fair  in  the  fine  sandy  loam,  and  large  in  the  silt  loam 
and  clay  loam,  but  the  chief  question  here  also  is  regarding  its 
availability. 

While  soils  well  supplied  with  vegetable  matter  as  these  are 
do  not  need  special  treatment  with  reference  to  potassium  and 
phosphorus  immediately  after  reclamation,  they  very  generally 
do  show  a need  of  care  in  this  regard  within  a few  years,  and 
patches  of  these  types  frequently  fail  to  produce  satisfactory 
crops  even  immediately  after  drainage  and  breaking  unless  stable 
manure  or  special  mineral  fertilizers  are  used. 

In  the  improvement  of  these  types  the  first  step  is,  of  course, 
drainage.  Both  open  ditches  and  tile  drains  can  be  installed  to 
advantage.  Plowing  fields  in  narrow  lands  with  dead  furrows 
two  to  four  rods  apart,  and  having  these  lead  into  shallow  open 
ditches  along  the  side  of  the  field,  will  greatly  assist  in  carrying 
off  surface  water.  In  order  to  make  the  internal  drainage  of 
the  soil  complete,  however,  tile  drains  should  be  used  to  supple- 
ment the  surface  ditches. 

With  thorough  drainage  these  soils  will  be  adapted  to  a wide 
range  of  general  crops.  Special  crops  such  as  cabbage  and  sugar 
beets  are  well  suited  to  these  lands  when  drained. 

WHITMAN  LOAM. 

Extent  and  distribution. — This  type  is  of  small  extent,  occu- 
pying less  than  ten  square  miles  in  the  county.  The  two  largest 


GROUP  OF  POORLY  DRAINED  SOILS. 


47 


areas  occur  in  Bovina  township,  one  west  and  the  other  north- 
east of  Shiocton.  Other  small,  isolated  areas  are  found  scat- 
tered about  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  county. 

Description.^ The  surface  soil  of  the  Whitman  loam  to  a depth 
of  about  seven  inches  is  a dark  brown  to  black,  mellow,  friable 
loam  rich  in  organic  matter.  It  carries  considerable  silt,  and 
sometimes  considerable  very  fine  sand.  It  is  free  from  stones 
and  gravel.  The  subsoil  rapidly  becomes  lighter  in  color  and 
coarser  in  texture,  until  at  about  fifteen  inches  it  is  a yellowish 
brown  to  pale  yellow^  very  fine  sand.  This  continues  to  well 
over  three  feet. 

In  places  the  subsoil  wdll  carry  a little  sandy  clay  which  is  a 
mottled  drab,  yellow  and  brown  color,  but  such  areas  are  very 

small. 

Topography  and  drainage. — The  topography  is  level,  which 
wdth  the  low  position  of  the  type,  makes  the  natural  drainage 
poor.  The  w^ater  table  is  usually  within  a few  feet  of  the  surface 
and  during  the  spring  the  soil  is  almost  completely  saturated. 
At  times,  portions  of  the  type  are  several  inches  under  water. 
In  places  open  ditches  have  been  constructed. 

Present  agricultural  development. — Where  properly  drained, 
the  general  farm  crops  common  to  the  region  are  grown  and  ex- 
cellent yields  obtained.  About  half  of  the  type  is  under  culti- 
vation. Of  the  special  crops,  cabbage,  beets,  and  onions  do  well, 
and  some  celery  has  been  successfully  grown.  The  chief  require- 
ment of  the  land  is  good  drainage.  The  undeveloped  portion  of 
the  type  is  valuable  only  for  the  pasture  it  affords,  and  the 
marsh  hay  which  may  be  cut. 

Chemical  composition  and  fertility .- — The  Whitman  loam  is 
quite  similar  to  the  Clyde  loam  of  southeastern  Wisconsin,  dif- 
fering chiefly  by  being  acid,  while  the  Clyde  soils  are  not  acid. 
It  also  carries  a larger  proportion  of  very  fine  sand  than  does 
the  Clyde  loam.  From  the  standpoint  of  the  plant  food  ele- 
ments which  it  contains,  this  may  be  considered  a well-balanced 
soil. 

The  Whitman  loam  contains  from  three  to  five  times  as  much 
nitrogen  and  organic  matter  as  does  the  average  light-colored 
upland  soil  of  this  region.  It  contains  from  1,500  to  2,000 
pounds  of  phosphorus  in  the  surface  eight  inches  an  acre,  and 
from  40,000  to  45.000  pounds  of  potassium. 


48 


SOIL  SUEVEY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY. 


In  the  improvement  of  this  type  the  first  step  is  to  supply 
adequate  drainage.  Open  ditches  will  not  be  sufficient  by  them- 
selves, and  should  be  supplemented  by  the  use  of  tile  drains. 
When  well  drained,  this  will  become  one  of  the  strongest  and 
most  productive  soils  in  Outagamie  County.  Because  of  the  low 
position  of  some  of  this  type,  its  improvement  would  at  present 
require  diking,  which,  under  present  conditions,  would  not  be 
justified. 


DUNNING  FINE  SANDY  LOAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Dunning  fine  sandy  loam  to  a depth 
of  from  four  to  seven  inches  is  a dark  brown  to  black,  loose, 
friable,  very  fine  sandy  loam,  free  from  stones  and  gravel,  and 
carrying  a high  percentage  of  organic  matter.  The  subsoil 
grades  abruptly  into  a pale  yellow  very  fine  sand,  which  con- 
tinues to  well  over  three  feet. 

This  type  is  of  small  extent  and  of  minor  importance.  It  oc- 
curs only  in  small  isolated  areas  scattered  throughout  the  north- 
western part  of  the  county.  The  main  areas  occur  in  the  eastern 
half  of  Maine  Township. 

The  topography  is  level,  which  wfith  the  low  position  of'  the 
type  makes  the  natural  drainage  poor.  The  water  table  lies 
close  to  the  surface,  and  for  portions  of  the  year  parts  of  the 
type  may  be  covered  with  a few  inches  of  water. 

The  timber  growth  consists  mainly  of  alders,  quaking  aspen, 
birch,  and  some  maple,  elm,  and  black  ash.  Practically  all  of 
the  good  timber  has  been  removed,  but  a dense  second  growth 
covers  most  of  the  area.  Very  little  of  this  type  is  under  culti- 
vation. The  principal  crops  are  oats,  timothy  hay,  and  marsh 
grass.  On  small  areas  which  have  been  properly  drained,  cab- 
bage and  onions  are  being  grown  successfully. 

Chemical  composition  and  fertility. — The  Dunning  fine  sandy 
loam  is  well  supplied  with  nitrogen  and  organic  matter  in  the 
surface  soil,  but  it  is  usually  deficient  in  the  mineral  plant  foods, 
phosphorus  and  potassium.  The  greatest  deficiency  is  drainage, 
however,  and  before  cultivated  crops  can  be  grown  successfully, 
a thorough  system  of  drains  must  be  provided.  Open  ditches  as 
now  installed  in  some  places  are  not  sufficient  in  themselves,  and 
must  be  supplemented  either  by  open  laterals  or  tile  drains. 
When  drainage  has  been  provided,  it  will  be  found  that  the 


GROUP  OF  POORLY  DRAIN  ED  SOILS. 


49 


most  economical  and  profitable  crop  production  can  be  secured 
by  the  use  of  mineral  fertilizers  containing  phosphorus  and 
potash.  Such  crops  as  alsike  clover  and  timothy,  buckwheat, 
and  corn  may  be  expected  to  give  good  results  on  this  kind  of 
land  under  good  management.  Corn  may  not  always  mature 
because  of  the  danger  from  frosts  on  the  low  land,  but  one  is 
reasonably  certain  of  always  securing  good  silage. 

CLYDE  SILT  LOAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  this  type  to  a depth  of  about  eight  inches 
consists  of  a black  friable  silt  loam  which  contains  a very  large 
amount  of  organic  matter.  The  subsoil  begins  as  a dark-colored 
silt  loam  to  about  twelve  or  fourteen  inches,  when  it  becomes 
somewhat  lighter  in  color,  frequently  being  of  a grayish  or  blue 
tinge  and  also  being  lighter  in  texture.  The  subsoil  is  quite 
variable,  but  is  most  often  sandy  loam  below  eighteen  inches. 
In  a few  instances  it  was  found  to  be  a very  fine  sand  which 
was  mottled  in  color. 

There  are  some  variations,  but  the  most  important  one  is  where 
the  surface  is  really  a clay  loam,  and  the  subsoil  a heavy  bluish 
silty  clay  loam  with  lenses  of  sand  in  the  lower  subsoil.  This 
phase  could  justly  be  classed  as  Clyde  clay  loam,  except  that  its 
very  limited  extent  makes  it  of  little  importance.  This  type  is 
of  limited  extent  and  of  minor  importance.  It  is  confined  to 
the  eastern  and  southern  parts  of  the  county,  and  occurs  in  a 
number  of  widely  separated  areas.  One  of  these,  and  perhaps 
the  largest,  occurs  in  Section  15  in  the  town  of  Osborn.  Other 
areas  are  found  in  Sections  22,  23,  and  24,  in  the  town  of  Elling- 
ton, and  in  Section  6 in  the  town  of  Center.  Several  other  small 
tracts  occur  in  the  town  of  Dale.  The  surface  of  this  soil  is  level 
or  having  only  a very  gentle  slope.  Because  of  its  low  position 
and  level  surface,  the  natural  drainage  is  very  poor,  and  before 
it  can  be  used  for  cultivated  crops  drainage  is  necessary. 

But  very  little  of  this  land  has  been  cleared  and  placed  under 
cultivation,  owing  to  the  fact  that  its  drainage  is  very  deficient. 
The  best  timber  has  been  removed,  and  some  of  this  land  is  now 
being  used  as  pasture  land.  Where  it  is  possible  to  drain  this 
soil,  it  can  be  made  very  excellent  land. 

In  the  improvement  of  this  soil,  drainage  is  the  first  consider- 
ation. From  the  standpoint  of  the  amount  of  plant  food  which 


50 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY. 


it  contains,  it  is  a well-balanced  soil,  and  when  drained  will  be 
adapted  to  a wide  range  of  crop  production.  Sugar  beets  and 
cabbage  are  special  crops  which  do  well  on  this  soil. 

CLYDE  FINE  SANDY  LOAM. 

The  surface  of  this  soil  consists  of  a dark  brown  or  nearly 
black  fine  sandy  loam  to  a depth  of  about  eight  inches.  The 
subsoil  is  a fine  sand,  or  fine  sandy  loam,  extending  to  a depth 
of  over  two  feet.  In  color  the  subsoil  is  a little  lighter  than  the 
surface  and  may  consist  of  a gray  or  yellowish,  or  sometimes 
mottle  material. 

This  type  is  of  limited  extent,  occupying  less  than  two  square 
miles.  It  is  found  in  small  scattered  areas  chiefly  in  the  towns 
of  Bovina,  Osborn,  and  Ellington.  The  surface  is  low  and  level, 
and  the  natural  drainage  is  very  poor.  This  soil  has  the  same 
origin  as  the  Clyde  silt  loam,  and  supported  practically  the 
same  original  timber  growth. 

There  is  but  very  little  of  this  soil  improved  at  present  be- 
cause of  its  poor  drainage,  and  before  it  can  be  used  for  culti- 
vated crops  drainage  is  necessary. 

GENESEE  SILT  LOAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Genesee  silt  loam  consists  of  about  eight 
inches  of  brown,  friable,  silt  loam,  which  at  times  carries  a con- 
siderable quantity  of  very  fine  sand,  and  is  usually  comparatively 
high  in  organic  matter. 

The  subsoil  is  a light  brown  loam  to  silt  loam,  which  usually 
becomes  lighter  in  color  with  increase  in  depth  until  at  twenty- 
four  inches  it  is  a pale  yellow  to  yellowish  brown. 

The  type  is  subject  to  considerable  variation  in  texture  and 
depth.  The  subsoil  is  sometimes  sticky,  although  it  often  car- 
ries large  quantities  of  fine  sand,  and  may  grade  entirely  into 
fine  sand  at  from  two  to  three  feet.  Small  areas  of  shallow  peat 
and  fine  sand  are  encountered,  although  none  of  these  variations 
are  large  enough  to  be  indicated  on  the  soil  map. 

This  type  is  confined  chiefly  to  the  valleys  of  the  Embarrass, 
Wolf,  and  Shioc  Rivers,  although  it  is  found  to  some  extent 
along  practically  all  of  the  streams  in  the  northern  and  western 
parts  of  the  county. 


GROUP  OF  POORLY  DRAINED  SOILS. 


51 


The  topography  is  level  except  where  old  stream  channels  cut 
across  the  type  in  numerous  places.  The  surface  is  low,  sub- 
ject to  annual  overflow,  and  is  usually  wet  during  the  spring 
and  early  summer  months.  During  dry  spells  when  the  streams 
are  low,  the  soil  is  fairly  well  drained. 

The  material  forming  this  soil  is  of  alluvial  origin,  derived 
from  sandstone  and  granitic  rock  debris. 

The  forest  growth  consisted  chiefly  of  swamp  oak,  elm,  bass- 
wood, maple,  and  ash  with  some  willow.  The  best  of  the  timber 
has  been  removed,  although  there  is  still  a good  stand  of  trees 
over  most  of  the  area,  and  in  places  a dense  undergrowth  includ- 
ing alders  is  encountered. 

All  of  this  type  is  subject  to  overflow.  For  this  reason,  little 
attempt  at  improvement  has  been  made.  Aside  from  the  marsh 
hay  which  can  be  cut  from  a portion  of  the  type  and  the  pas- 
ture which  it  affords,  it  has  but  little  present  agricultural  value. 

If  protected  from  overflow,  this  type  would  have  a high  agri- 
cultural value.  A proposed  canal,  designed  to  carry  the  excess 
water  from  the  Wolf  River,  across  the  northern  part  of  the 
county  into  Duck  Creek*,  if  brought  into  successful  operation 
would  solve  to  a large  degree,  the  difficulty  which  has  been  en- 
countered in  the  improvement  of  this  type. 

GENESEE  FINE  SANDY  LOAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Genesee  fine  sandy  loam  consists  of 
about  eight  inches  of  brown,  friable,  very  fine  sandy  loam.  The 
subsoil  is  a little  darker  in  color,  but  the  texture  usually  remains 
the  same  to  below  three  feet.  In  places  very  fine  sand  is  encoun- 
tered at  from  eighteen  to  twenty-four  inches. 

Small  areas  of  fine  sand  and  shallow  peat  are  encountered, 
although  none  of  these  variations  are  large  enough  to  be  indi- 
cated on  the  soil  map. 

This  type  is  confined  chiefly  to  the  valley  of  the  Wolf  River, 
where  it  occupies  low  flats  bordering  the  stream.  The  surface 
is  low,  subject  to  annual  overflow,  and  is  usually  wet  during  the 
spring  and  early  summer  months.  During  dry  spells  when  the 
stream  is  low,  the  soil  is  well  drained. 

The  best  of  the  timber  has  been  removed,  but  there  still  re- 
mains a good  stand  of  trees,  and  in  many  places  dense  under- 
growths are  encountered.  As  all  of  this  type  is  subject  to  over- 


52 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY. 


flow,  little  attempt  at  improvement  has  been  made.  Aside  from 
the  marsh  hay  which  may  be  cut  from  a portion  of  the  type,  and 
the  pasture  which  it  affords,  it  has  a very  low  agricultural  value. 
In  all  respects  it  is  very  similar  to  the  Genesee  silt  loam,  except 
that  the  latter  is  higher  in  organic  matter,  and  has  a finer  texture. 

The  drainage  of  this  type  under  present  conditions  would  be 
very  difficult  in  most  cases,  and  it  is  probable  that  it  will  not 
be  improved  for  a long  time,  except  for  a few  patches  of  the  type 
which  are  more  favorably  located  than  the  average.  With  good 
drainage,  it  will  make  a productive  soil,  adapted  to  a wide  range 
in  crop  production. 


PEAT. 

The  material  mapped  as  Peat  consists  of  vegetable  matter  in 
various  stages  of  decomposition.  Much  of  the  material  is  still 
in  a very  raw  fibrous  condition,  showing  quite  plainly  the  struc- 
ture of  the  vegetable  growth  from  which  it  is  derived.  In  a 
fibrous  condition  the  material  is  brown,  but  with  decomposition 
its  color  beccmes  darker,  and  where  thoroughly  decayed  it  is 
black  or  very  dark  brown.  Mineral  matter  may  be  incorporated 
with  the  organic  matter,  but  seldom  in  sufficient  quantities  to 
appreciably  offset  the  texture.  In  the  more  extensive  areas  of 
Peat  there  is  little  or  no  mineral  matter  except  about  the  mar- 
gins, where  the  proportion  is  frequently  sufficient  to  form  muck. 
The  mucky  areas  are  too  small  to  be  satisfactorily  separated, 
however,  and  are  included  with  the  Peat. 

The  depth  of  Peat  is  variable.  The  areas  in  which  it  is  less 
than  eighteen  inches  are  separated  as  a shallow  phase.  In  some 
places  the  organic  deposits  are  more  than  ten  feet  deep  and  in 
practically  all  the  swamps  with  an  area  of  one  square  mile  or 
more,  the  depth  is  more  than  three  feet.  It  is  generally  deepest 
in  the  center  of  the  areas,  and  shallowest  about  the  margins. 

In  large  swamps  and  marshes  where  the  material  is  still  raw, 
there  is  very  little  difference  in  character  between  the  surface 
material  and  the  material  several  feet  below  the  surface.  Where 
conditions  have  favored  rapid  decomposition  the  material  at  the 
surface  is  frequently  darker  than  that  at  lower  depths,  but  where 
the  accumulation  of  vegetable  matter  on  the  surface  has  been 
rapid,  the  lower  depths  are  more  decomposed  and  darker  in 
color.  A profile  section  may  consist  of  eight  to  sixteen  inches 


GROUP  OF  POORLY  DRAIN  FT)  SOILS. 


53 


of  slightly  decomposed  to  well  decomposed  brown  to  dark  brown 
vegetable  matter,  underlain  by  similar  material  which  may  be 
more  decomposed,  or  may  be  in  a very  raw  condition. 

The  material  underlying  the  peaty  matter  is  variable,  and. 
ranges  from  sand  to  silt  loam  or  clay  loam.  In  general,  its  tex- 
ture is  determined  largely  by  that  of  the  surrounding  upland 
soil.  In  the  regions  of  silt  loam  soils  the  underlying  material 
is  usually  heavy  and  of  a grayish  to  dark  brown  color.  Through- 
out the  sandy  sections  in  most  cases  the  peaty  material  is  under- 
lain by  grayish  to  nearly  white  sand  to  very  fine  sand. 

In  places  small  islands  of  Muck,  sand,  or  other  soils  have  been 
included  with  the  Peat.  Such  areas  were  too  small  and  unim- 
portant to  be  separated. 

Areas  of  Peat  are  distributed  through  all  parts  of  the  county, 
but  are  most  extensive  in  the  northwestern  part.  The  largest 
areas  occur  in  the  townships  of  Black  Creek,  Bovina,  Liberty, 
and  Hortonia. 

Practically  all  the  Peat  areas  are  level,  or  have  only  a very 
gentle  slope.  The  slope  is  nowhere  sufficient  to  drain  the  ma- 
terial without  the  use  of  open  ditches.  Most  of  the  areas  0/ 
Peat  are  wet  the  greater  part  of  the  year,  and  thei'c  are  often  a 
few  inches  of  water  over  the  surface  in  the  spring  when  heavy 
rains  occur. 

Most  of  the  marshes  in  which  Peat  occurs  have  sufficient  slope 
to  be  successfully  drained.  In  a few  instances  drainage  districts 
have  been  organized,  and  rather  extensive  drainage  projects  are 
being  developed.  However,  at  present  very  little  of  the  Peat  is 
under  cultivation,  and  its  agricultural  value  in  its  present  state 
is  low. 

The  native  trees  of  the  Peat  consisted  chiefly  of  tamarack  and 
cedar.  Some  of  the  marshes  do  not  support  any  trees  or  have 
only  scattered  growths  of  tamarack,  cedar,  ash,  etc.  In  most  of 
these  places  the  original  timber  has  been  destroyed  by  fire,  though 
a few  marshes  apparently  have  always  been  treeless.  On  some 
of  the  open  marshes  there  is  a coarse  grass  which  is  cut  for  hay, 
but  in  most  cases  the  vegetation  consists  of  moss,  blueberry 
bushes,  and  other  moisture-loving  plants. 


54 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY. 


PEAT,  SHALLOW  PHASE. 

Peat,  shallow  phase,  is  differentiated  from  the  typical  peat, 
solely  on  the  basis  of  the  thickness  of  the  peaty  deposit,  the 
maximum  in  the  phase  being  eighteen  inches.  The  underlying 
material  is  very  variable,  and  usually  corresponds  quite  closely 
to  the  surrounding  uplands.  In  regions  where  the  surrounding 
soils  are  heavy,  the  subsoil  is  usually  a silt  loam  or  clay  loam, 
often  mottled  in  color.  Where  the  uplands  are  sandy,  the  ma- 
terial composing  the  subsoil  is  usually  light,  consisting  of  fine 
sandy  loam  to  very  fine  sand.  The  depth  of  the  peaty  material 
is  also  variable,  and  ranges  from  six  to  eighteen  inches. 

In  places  small  islands  of  muck,  sand,  or  other  soils  have  been 
included  with  the  peat.  These  areas  were  too  small  and  unim- 
portant to  be  mapped  separately. 

The  shallow  phase  of  Peat  is  not  very  extensive  and  occurs 
only  in  small  areas  scattered  throughout  the  county. 

The  timber  growth  of  this  phase  is  practically  the  same  as 
for  J;he  typical  Peat,  with  the  exception  of  tamarack.  This  tree 
is  found  only  in  a few  places  on  shallow  Peat.  - 

The  production  of  marsh  hay  is  about  the  only  use  made  of 
this  soil  at  present.  It  is  used  to  a small  extent  for  grazing. 
In  its  present  condition  it  has  a low  agricultural  value.  When 
drained  it  will  be  adapted  to  the  same  crops  and  types  of  farm- 
ing as  the  typical  Peat. 

In  most  cases  it  is  easier  to  improve  the  shallow  phase  as  it 
will  be  more  easily  drained,  and  will  require  less  compacting  to 
make  a good  seed  bed. 

CHEMICAL  COMPOSITION  AND  FERTILITY  OF  PEAT  SOILS. 

In  the  improvement  of  the  peat  lands  of  Outagamie  County, 
the  first  step  is  drainage.  With  the  exception  of  some  of  the 
marsh  land  immediately  adjoining  some  of  the  larger  streams, 
it  is  thought  that  most  of  the  marshes  could  be  readily  drained 
and  successfully  cultivated.  Along  some  of  the  larger  streams, 
the  surface  of  the  Peat  is  so  low  that  much  of  it  would  require 
diking,  or  the  lowering  of  the  bed  of  the  stream,  which  would 
be  very  expensive  and  hardly  justify  able  under  present  con- 
ditions. 

The  crops  adapted  to  this  land  depend  to  a considerable  ex- 
tent on  the  degree  of  drainage  secured,  and  on  the  thorough- 


GROUP  OF  POORLY  DRAINED  SOILS . 


55 


ness  with  which  the  ground  is  prepared.  A much  less  expen- 
sive and  complete  drainage  system  would  be  necessary  to  fit 
this  land  for  tame  hay  such  as  timothy  and  alsike  clover  than 
would  be  needed  to  fit  it  for  corn,  sugar  beets  and  other  culti- 
vated crops.  For  its  highest  development  agriculturally,  a tile 
drainage  system  in  which  the  laterals  are  not  more  than  eight 
to  ten  rods  apart  would  be  essential. 

The  chief  difference  between  peat  soils  and  upland  soils  con- 
sisting largely  of  earthly  matter,  is  that  they  have  relatively 
small  amounts  of  the  mineral  elements  phosphorus,  potassium, 
calcium,  and  magnesium,  and  have  extremely  high  amounts  of 
nitrogen  in  the  organic  matter.  The  average  percentage  of 
phosphorus  in  the  peats  of  this  region  so  far  analyzed  is  0.135 
per  cent.  This  means  that  in  an  acre  of  soil  to  a depth  of  a 
foot  there  is  approximately  only  675  pounds,  or  in  two  feet 
1,350  pounds,  in  comparison  with  upland  soils  which  have  ap- 
proximately twice  these  amounts.  •Moreover,  the  acid  condition 
of  these  soils  renders  the  phosphorus  less  available  than  in  non- 
acid soil. 

The  deficiency  of  potassium  in  these  soils  is  greater  than 
that  of  phosphorus.  They  contain  on  the  average  of  0.3  per 
cent  of  this  element,  while  good  upland  clay  loam  soils  average 
2 per  cent,  or  over  six  times  as  much  expressed  in  percentage. 
When  the  greater  weight  of  the  upland  soils  is  taken  into  ac- 
count it  will  be  found  that  they  contain  in  the  upper  two  feet 
120,000  pounds  per  acre,  while  the  peat  soils  contain  but  3,000 
pounds. 

A large  amount  of  organic  matter  in  these  soils  gives  them 
an  extraordinary  amount  of  nitrogen.  They  average  2.5  per 
cent  of  this  element,  while  the  upland  silt  loam  soils  of  this 
region  contain  but  about  0.12  per  cent  and  this  only  in  the 
surface  eight  inches — the  amount  in  deeper  layers  being  much 
less. 

As  a result  of  this  difference  in  the  chemical  composition  the 
peat  soils  are  very  unbalanced.  Their  rational  treatment  re- 
quires the  use  of  fertilizers  containing  especially  the  elements 
phosphorus  and  potash.  These  elements  are  contained  in  rela- 
tively small  amounts  in  barnyard  manure  and  good  applica- 
tions of  manure  will  secure  good  yields  of  crops  on  peat  soils, 
but  manure  contains  large  amounts  of  nitrogen  not  needed 
by  the  peat,  so  that  when  a farm  includes  upland  soils  as  well 


56 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY. 


as  peat,  the  manure  should  be  used  on  the  upland  soils  and 
commercial  fertilizers  containing  phosphorus  and  potash  used 
on  the  peat  land. 

On  the  deeper  peats  which  are  in  a very  raw  and  acid  condi- 
tion the  use  of  lime  in  some  form  in  addition  to  the  commercial 
fertilizers  will  be  found  profitable.  Occasionally  a marsh  is 
found  on  which  on  account  of  coldness  and  high  acidity  at  first 
nitrification  or  the  chemical  change  by  which  the  nitrogen  in 
the  organic  matter  becomes  available  to  crops  does  not  take 
place  readily  and  the  use  of  a light  application  of  composted 
stable  manure  to  inoculate  the  soil  with  the  proper  organisms 
is  very  helpful. 

Crops  and  system  of  farming  on  marsh  lands. — Since  the 
growth  of  corn  and  potatoes  to  which  these  marsh  lands  would 
otherwise  be  well  adapted,  is  limited  in  this  section  on  account 
of  the  danger  from  frost,  the  best  staple  crops  for  this  land  are 
grasses  for  hay  and  pasture,' *hardy  root  crops,  and  rye  and,  to  a 
less  extent,  oats.  When  properly  fertilized  and  limed,  clover, 
alfalfa,  and  other  legumes  can  also  be  grown.  On  fairly  well 
drained  marsh  land  not  too  raw  good  pasture  can  also  be  de- 
veloped. The  compacting  of  the  soil  resulting  from  the  use  of 
this  land  as  pasture  is  also  a great  benefit  to  it.  When  peat 
land  is  placed  under  cultivation  a heavy  roller  should  be  classed 
along  with  implements  necessary  to  its  successful  management. 

On  account  of  the  crops  to  which  this  land  is  adapted  and  its 
use  as  a pasture,  marsh  lands  can  be  used  for  dairying  or  stock 
raising  to  good  advantage. 

Certain  special  crops,  such  as  cabbage,  onions,  buckwheat,  and 
rape,  are  well  adapted  to  such  lands  when  well  drained  and  fer- 
tilized. 


GENERAL  AGRICULTURE  AND  CLIMATE. 


57 


CHAPTER  VI. 

GENERAL  AGRICULTURE  AND  CLIMATE. 

HISTORY. 

As  was  the  case  in  a large  number  of  Wisconsin  counties, 
the  development  of  Agriculture  in  Outagamie  County  was  pre- 
ceded by  the  logging  and  lumbering  industries. 

The  first  settlement  in  what  is  now  Outagamie  County  was 
made  about  1843  by  Father  Van  Der  Broeck  who  had  been  mis- 
sionary to  the  Indians  of  the  region  for  a number  of  years.  He 
was  instrumental  in  bringing  a colony  of  Dutch  immigrants 
who  located  at  Little  Chute.  During  this  same  year,  the  first 
buildings  were  erected  in  Appleton.  The  first  farms  opened 
after  the  advance  of  the  lumbermen  were  small  tracts,  and  often 
large  areas  of  land  remained  in  the  cut-over  stage  for  a con- 
siderable time  before  being  parceled  out  in  small  farms. 

As  the  timber  was  first  removed  from  the  region  adjoining 
the  Fox  River,  agricultural  development  had  its  beginning  also 
in  this  region. 

The  crops  which  were  grown  by  the  early  settlers  were  chiefly 
those  which  were  used  for  home,  or,  at  least,  local  consumption, 
and  consisted  largely  of  wheat,  corn,  potatoes,  hay,  root  crops, 
etc.  The  methods  which  were  at  first  followed  were  crude  and 
no  attempts  were  made  to  follow  any  definite  system  of  rota- 
tion or  cultivation.  Throughout  the  Fox  River  Valley  the  soils 
are  of  a heavy  nature,  and  cultivation  is  more  difficult  than  on 
the  lighter  soils.  Cultural  operations  were  not  thorough.  At 
times  the  ground  was  scratched  only  a little  before  grain  was 
planted. 

While  nearly  all  of  the  merchantable  timber  has  been  re- 
moved from  this  county  and  a large  proportion  of  the  land 
placed  under  cultivation,  there  are  still  some  sections  which 
have  considerable  undeveloped  land.  The  section  least  devel- 
oped is  confined  to  the  northeastern  part  of  the  county  which 


58 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY. 


was  originally  included  in  the  Oneida  Indian  Reservation.  In 
the  northwestern  portion  of  the  county  in  Maine,  Deer  Creek, 
Bovina,  and  Maple  Creek  townships  there  are  considerable  areas 
which  are  also  unimproved  due  to  the  fact  that  in  this  region 
there  is  a large  amount  of  poorly  drained  land  and  also  some 
that  is  of  a sandy  nature.  The  greater  proportion  of  the  county, 
however,  is  highly  improved  agriculturally. 

While  practically  all  of  the  general  farm  crops  now  grown 
were  produced  in  the  early  history  of  the  region,  the  relative 
importance  of  a number  of  crops  has  changed  to  a considerable 
degree.  From  the  various  census  reports  we  gather  very  inter- 
esting information  along  this  line.  In  1880  there  were  40,906 
acres  devoted  to  wheat  which  was  nearly  three  times  the  acreage 
devoted  to  oats,  and  more  than  twice  the  acreage  devoted  to 
corn.  In  1890  there  were  only  22,000  acres  in  wheat,  but  the 
acreage  of  oats  had  increased  to  over  31,000.  In  1910  the  acre- 
age of  wheat  had  dropped  to  549  while  the  acreage  of  corn 
was  28,000  and  oats  53,000.  In  1920  there  were  6,748  acres  in 
wheat.  In  1880  there  were  only  about  3,000  acres  in  barley ; in 
1910  there  were  over  17,000  acres,  and  in  1920,  9,600  acres. 
The  following  table  shows  the  relative  importance  of  the  lead- 
ing crops  over  a period  of  years. 


TABLE  SHOWING  ACREAGE  OF  LEADING  CROPS  OVER  A PERIOD  OF  TEARS. 


Crop 

1880 

1890 

1900 

j 1910 
549 

28,068 

53,004 

17,403 

2,744 

48,502 

j 1920 

Wheat 

40,906 

17,569 

15,209 

2,964 

1,269 

22,009 

11,908 

31,478 

3,097 

4,191 

15,113 

20,344 

54,680 

10,229 

2,961 

7,301 

21,177 

46,116 

9,600 

2,923 

59,181 

Corn 

O-'ts 

Barley.. 

Rye 

Hav 

l 

1 

PRESENT  STATUS  OF  AGRICULTURE. 

The  Agriculture  of  Outagamie  County  at  present  consists 
chiefly  of  general  or  mixed  farming  with  dairying  as  the  most 
important  branch.  The  chief  crops  grown  according  to  acre- 
age (taken  from  the  1920  census)  are  hay,  oats,  corn,  barley, 
wheat,  potatoes,  and  rye,  with  buckwheat,  peas,  sugar  beats, 
and  beans  as  crops  of  less  importance.  During  the  past  few 
years  the  acreage  of  wheat  has  increased  over  ten  fold.  This 
increase  was  undoubtedly  due  to  the  greater  demand  for  wheat 
owing  to  the  war  situation. 


GENERAL  AGRICULTURE  AND  CLIMATE. 


59 


Practically  all  of  the  crops  grown  in  this  region  may  be  con- 
sidered in  part  as  cash  crops,  for  hay,  corn,  oats,  rye,  and  barley 
are  sold  to  some  extent  directly  from  the  farms.  Potatoes  are 
grown  mainly  for  sale  although  they  are  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant subsistence  crops.  By  far  the  greater  proportion  of  the 
hay,  corn,  and  oats  produced  is  used  in  feeding  livestock,  and 
thus  much  of  it  finally  reaches  the  market  in  the  form  of  dairy 
products,  beef,  and  pork.  A considerable  quantity  of  grain  and 
hay  is  used  as  feed  for  work  stock. 

Oats  is  grown  more  extensively  than  any  other  crop  except 
hay.  Its  production  is  distributed  throughout  the  county,  and 
while  it  is  grown  on  nearly  all  of  the  soils,  best  returns  are 
secured  from  the  fine  sandy  loams,  loams,  and  clay  loams  rather 
than  from  the  soils  of  lighter  texture. 

Hay  is  the  crop  which  is  first  in  importance  from  the  stand- 
point of  acreage.  This  includes  timothy  and  clover,  together 
or  separately,  alfalfa,  and  also  such  crops  as  oats,  or  oats  and 
peas  which  may  be  cut  green  for  hay.  Only  a small  proportion 
of  the  total  hay  crop  consists  of  this  latter  variety,  however. 
Hay  makes  its  best  growth  on  the  soils  of  medium  to  heavy 
texture  rather  than  on  the  light  sandy  types. 

Corn  is  the  crop  of  third  importance  from  the  standpoint  of 
acreage.  While  corn  will  usually  mature  in  this  section  a large 
proportion  of  it  is  used  as  ensilage  since  nearly  every  farmer 
has  a silo.  The  soils  of  this 'county  which  are  best  adapted  to 
corn  raising  are  the  fine  sandy  loams  which  have  a rather  heavy 
subsoil,  since  the  sandy  surface  permits  the  ground  to  warm 
up  quite  early;  so  the  crop  can  get  a start  more  readily  than 
on  the  heavier  soils  where  the  drainage  is  rather  deficient,  and 
the  ground  rather  cold  in  the  spring. 

Barley  is  a crop  of  considerable  importance  and  is  grown  on 
a variety  of  soils. 

Rye  is  confined  more  extensively  to  the  sandy  portions  of  the 
county  because  these  soils  will  produce  rye  better  than  any  other 
grain  crop. 

The  growing  of  potatoes  while  of  some  importance  has  not 
reached  the  magnitude  which  this  industry  has  in  either  Wau- 
paca or  Portage  Counties  to  the  west.  This  fact  is  due  chiefly 
to  the  soil  in  Outagamie  County  some  of  which  is  heavy  and  not 
so  well  suited  to  the  commercial  growing  of  potatoes  as  are  the 
lighter  soils  of  the  other  two  counties  mentioned.  In  1920  the 


60 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY. 


total  area  was  4,138  acres.  Commercially  potatoes  are  confined 
more  extensively  to  the  sandy  soils  of  the  northwestern  portion 
of  the  county.  They  are  also  grown  to  a considerable  extent 
on  such  soils  as  the  Superior  fine  sandy  loam,  rolling  phase, 
which  is  very  well  suited  to  this  crop. 

There  are  a number  of  special  crops  which  are  grown  to 
some  extent  in  this  county.  The  most  important  of  these  crops 
is  cabbage,  grown  most  extensively  in  the  vicinity  of  Shiocton. 
In  this  region  cabbage  is  grown  chiefly  on  the  alluvial  soils.  The 
total  acreage  amounted  to  2,550  acres,  according  to  the  county 
report  of  1917,  with  an  average  yield  of  9.8  tons  per  acre,  or  a 
total  production  of  nearly  25,000  tons. 

Onions  and  sugar  beets  are  also  grown  to  a limited  extent. 

Some  trucking  is  carried  on  in  the  vicinity  of  nearly  all  the 
towns,  especially  in  the  vicinity  of  Appleton  and  Kaukauna,  al- 
though the  soils  in  that  portion  of  the  county  are  not  particu- 
larly well  suited  to  this  industry.  These  truck  crops  consist  of 
cabbage,  lettuce,  radishes,  onions,  strawberries,  and  other  vege- 
tables and  small  fruits. 

The  following  table  shows  the  acreage  and  production  of  the 
important  farm  crops  in  Outagamie  County. 


TABLE  SHOWING  ACREAGE  OP  FARM  CROPS  IN  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY, 

WISCONSIN. 


Crop 

1909 

1919 

Oats 

28,038  A. 
53,004 
246 
287 

37,840  A. 
46,116 

Winter  wheat  _ . 

Spring-  wheat 

Wheat  . .... 

7,301 

9,600 

2,923 

399 

277 

49,181 

47,713 

321 

24,990  T. 

Barley-- __  _ 

17,403 

2,744 

334 

649 

48,502 

Rye 

Buckwheat 

Dried  peas 

Tame  hay_  _ _ 

Clover  and  timothy 

Alfalfa 

Cabbage _ _ 

Beans 

138 
3,422 
4,276 
403  A. 

Wild  hay . 

Potatoes 

4,138  A. 

508 

1,698 

Sugar  beets 

Silos -.  _ _ _ 

The  growing  of  fruit  is  given  comparatively  little  attention 
in  Outagamie  County.  The  fruit  which  is  produced  is  grown 
chiefly  for  home  use.  On  many  of  the  farms  there  is  a small 
orchard,  which  usually  supplies  apples  for  home  use.  Apples 


GENERAL  AGRICULTURE  AND  CLIMATE. 


61 


do  best  over  that  portion  of  the  county  where  the  surface  is 
somewhat  rolling,  on  such  as  the  rolling  phase  of  Superior  fine 
sandy  loam  and  Miami  types.  The  census  of  1920  reported  that 
there  were  at  that  time  about  51,538  apple  trees  in  the  county 
of  bearing  age.  There  were  also  7,390  cherry  trees  of  bear- 
ing age. 

There  were  approximately  600  grape  vines  in  bearing  at  that 
time,  and  about  72  acres  devoted  to  strawberries. 

In  this  connection  the  fact  may  also  be  mentioned  that  in 
1920  there  were  about  3,865  maple  trees  which  were  being  used 
for  the  production  of  maple  syrup  and  sugar. 

The  raising  of  live  stock  is  an  important  industry  in  this  re- 
gion. Dairying  is  the  most  important  branch  of  the  live  stock 
industry,  but  some  beef  cattle  and  a large  number  of  hogs  are 
also  raised. 

Poultry  may  be  mentioned  along  with  the  general  live-stock 
industry. 

Dairying  is  by  far  the  most  important  branch  of  agriculture 
which  is  followed  in  Outagamie  County  at  present.  The  census 
of  1919  reported  that  there  were  slightly  over  56,000  dairy  cows 
in  the  county.  During  that  year  approximately  17,550,000  gal- 
lons of  milk  were  produced.  The  dairy  products  find  their 
way  to  market  chiefly  in  the  form  of  cheese,  butter,  and  con- 
densed milk.  There  is  also  an  appreciable  amount  of  milk 
which  is  delivered  as  whole  milk  in  the  towns  and  cities  of  the 
area,  and  also  some  whole  milk  which  is  shipped  to  Green  Bay. 

There  is  one  condensery  in  New  London,  just  over  the  line 
in  Waupaca  County,  which  receives  a considerable  amount  of 
milk  from  Outagamie  County.  In  1917,  there  were  twenty-one 
butter  factories  and  eighty-six  cheese  factories  in  the  county. 
Of  the  dairy  cows,  those  of  the  Holstein  breed  are  most  nu- 
merous, and  there  are  a number  of  pure  breds  throughout  the 
county  although  the  grades  still  predominate.  The  following 
table  shows  the  number  of  butter  and  cheese  factories  in  this 
county,  and  also  the  amounts  of  cheese  which  have  been  pro- 
duced and  marketed. 


62 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY. 


TABLE  FROM  WISCONSIN  DAIRY  AND  FOOD  COMMISSIONER. 


Butter 

Factories 

Cheese 

Factories 

1910 

20 

19 

24 

21 

Pounds 
of  cheese 
produced  i 

79 

79 

81 

86 

Amount 
received 
for  cheese 

1916 

1918  ...  

1915  . 

9,190,978 

9,535,888 

$1,246,872.25 

2,081,424.32 

1917 

ADAPTATION  OF  CROPS  TO  SOILS. 

There  is  wide  variation  in  the  texture  of  the  soils  as  they 
are  found  in  Outagamie  County,  and  also  a wide  range  in  the 
drainage  conditions.  It  is  generally  recognized  by  farmers  that 
some  crops  are  better  adapted  than  others  to  various  soil  types, 
but  not. so  much  attention  has  been  given  to  the  selection  of 
crops  and  their  adaptation  to  soils  in  this  region  as  should  be. 
As  a result  of  experiments  conducted  at  the  various  experiment 
stations,  valuable  information  has  been  secured  in  this  connec- 
tion. In  selecting  crops  to  be  grown,  the  question  of  climate 
should  be  considered  as  well  as  soil,  since  in  this  region  the 
growing  season  is  somewhat  shorter  than  in  southern  Wisconsin, 
and  with  such  a crop  as  corn  which  is  susceptible  to  frosts, 
this  is  a very  important  matter. 

In  the  growing  of  corn,  the  texture  of  the  soil  in  this  region 
is  very  important.  On  the  heavy  soils,  the  season  is  often 
rather  backward;  and  since  the  season  is  rather  short,  the  soils 
of  a somewhat  sandy  nature  are  preferred.  Probably  the  Su- 
perior fine  sandy  loam,  rolling  phase,  is  one  of  the  best  corn 
soils  of  this  region.  At  the  Spooner  Station,  the  variety  of  corn 
known  as  Wisconsin  No.  25  has  been  found  to  ripen  within  one 
hundred  days.  This  variety  is  often  ripe  enough  to  permit 
seed  selection  by  August  23d,  may  be  fully  ripe  August  30th. 
and  yet  produced  eight  to  fifteen  tons  of  silage  per  acre.  For 
seven  years  No.  25  averaged  57.4  bushels  of  corn  an  acre. 

In  the  matter  of  raising  oats,  this  crop  is  better  adapted  to 
the  soils  of  heavy  texture,  fine  sandy  loam  or  heavier,  rather 


GENERAL  AGRICULTURE  AND  CLIMATE. 


63 


than  to  the  lighter  soils.  • On  the  Ashland  Experiment  Farm, 
Pedigree  No.  4 (Early  Gothland)  has  been  found  to  be  a very 
satisfactory  variety  of  oats  to  grow.  In  1920  this  variety  out- 
yielded  all  other  varieties,  and  in  spite  of  a favorable  season  to 
favor  rank  growth,  showed  very  little  lodging.  So  far,  early 
Gothland  seems  especially  well  adapted  to  upper  Wisconsin,  al- 
though one  other  new  strain,  No.  1214,  has  outyielded  Pedigree 
No.  4 by  eight  bushels  an  acre  on  a six-year  average.  The  Ash- 
land Station  is  on  heavy,  red  clay  soil,  which  is  practically  the 
same  as  the  soil  in  the  Fox  River  Valley. 

Wheat  is  grown  to  some  extent  in  this  region,  and  could  be 
grown  much  more  extensively  with  profit.  At  the  Ashland  Ex- 
periment Station  on  the  red  clay  land  the  variety  of  wheat 
known  as  Baska,  No.  408,  has  yielded  as  high  as  51  bushels  an 
acre,  or  an  average  of  31  bushels  for  a seven-year  period.  The 
variety  No.  11837  yielded  34.2  bushels  an  acre  for  seven-year 
period,  and  variety  No.  11825  yielded  32.4  bushels  an  acre  for 
the  same  period.  These  are  all  winter  wheats,  and  it  has  been 
demonstrated  that  winter  wheats  give  larger  yields  and  are 
more  profitable  to  raise  than  spring  wheats.  Of  the  spring  grain 
which  have  been  tried,  Marquis  seems  to  give  the  best  results. 
The  well  drained  red  clay  lands  seem  to  be  better  adapted  to 
wheat  growing  in  northern  Wisconsin  than  the  other  type  of 
soils.  In  considering  these  results  it  should  be  kept  in  mind  of 
course  that  the  climatic  conditions  at  Ashland  are  somewhat 
different  than  in  Outamagie  county,  although  similar  soils 
are  to  be  found  in  both  regions. 

Peas  are  grown  to  a greater  or  less  extent  in  this  region, 
and  their  production  could  be  materially  extended  with  profit. 
The  varieties  which  have,  given  the  best  results  at  the  Ashland 
Experiment  Station  on  the  red  clay  are  the  Scotch,  which  has 
yielded  22.9  bushels  an  acre  oTer  a period  of  ten  years,  and  the 
Green  which  yielded  22.6  bushels  an  acre  over  the  same  period. 
Peas  pay  better  and  give  a larger  profit  per  acre  than  any  of 
the  small  grains. 

The  growing  of  rye  can  be  made  profitable,  and  this  crop  is 
especially  well  adapted  to  soils  of  a somewhat  sandy  nature; 
in  fact,  it  does  better  on  the  sandy  soils  than  any  of  the  other 
small  grains.  Wisconsin  Rye,  Pedigree  No.  2,  has  given  very 
good  satisfaction  as  grown  at  the  Spooner  Experiment  Station, 
as  well  as  in  other  sections  of  the  state.  Winter  rye  should  be 


64 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY. 


grown  instead  of  spring  rye,  since  the  yields  are  materially 
higher,  the  average  for  several  years  at  the  Madison  Station 
giving  44.1  bushels  (winter  rye),  and  23.9  bushels  spring  rye. 
The  weight  per  bushel  of  the  winter  rye  is  also  somewhat  higher 
than  the  spring  rye.  Rye  can  be  grown  with  profit  on  heavy 
soils  as  well  as  light  soils,  but  as  indicated,  it  gives  better  re- 
sults on  the  sandy  land  than  the  other  small  grains. 

Potatoes  where  grown  on  a commercial  scale  usually  give 
more  satisfactory  results  on  soils  which  are  somewhat  sandy. 
Potato  growing  in  Outagamie  County  is  not  so  highly  developed 
as  in  Portage  or  Waushara  County,  but  there  are  soils  here 
which  are  very  well  adapted  to  this  crop.  The  Superior  fine 
sandy  loam,  rolling  phase,  should  be  especially  well  suited  to 
potato  growing.  Very  good  yields  have  been  secured  on  the 
heavy  clay  lands  similar  to  those  in  Outagamie  County,  but  the 
difficulties  of  growing  and  harvesting  are  much  greater  than 
on  lighter  soils. 

In  regard  to  root  crops,  carrots  and  rutabagas  do  better  than 
mangles  or  beets  on  the  light  soils.  Excellent  yields  of  mangles 
and  beets  have  been  secured  on  the  Superior  clay  loam.  Mon- 
arch rutabagas  have  yielded  on  an  average  of  24.57  tons  an 
acre,  and  the  Bangholm  rutabagas  yielded  21  tons  an  acre.  The 
Mammoth  long  red  mangle  yielded  17.49  tons  an  acre,  and  sugar 
beets  yielded  17.87  tons  an  acre. 

The  various  types  of  farming  are  also  influenced  by  soil  con- 
ditions, and  the  dairy  industry  is  most  highly  developed  in  the 
region  of  heavy  soils.  Agriculture  is  less  developed  in  the  por- 
tions of  the  county  where  the  soils  are  of  a sandy  nature. 

ROTATION  OF  CROPS. 

In  discussing  rotations,  farm  crops  may  be  divided  into  three 
classes : 

1.  Grain  crops — generally  shallow  feeders,  add  little  humus 
or  organic  matter,  and  tend  to  weediness. 

2.  Hay  crops — legumes,  timothy,  etc.  Legumes  have  exten- 
sive root  systems,  tap  roots,  add  organic  matter  or  humus  and 
also  plant  food  (nitrogen).  They  also  improve  the  physical 
condition  of  the  soil. 

3.  Cultivated  crops — corn,  potatoes,  etc.,  conserve  moisture, 
favor  decomposition  of  organic  matter,  and  destroy  weeds. 
Some  are  deep  feeders,  as  corn,  while  root  crops  are  shallow 
feeders. 


GENERAL  AGRICULTURE  AND  CLIMATE. 


65 


A good  rotation  should  necessarily  include  crops  belonging 
to  each  of  these  three  classes.  The  value  of  such  practice  is 
apparent  in  its  effect  on  the  physical  condition  of  the  soil,  on 
weediness,  on  organic  matter  supply,  on  plant  diseases,  and 
on  nitrogen  supply  of  the  soil.  Better  yields  are,  therefore, 
obtained  when  crops  are  rotated  than  when  a single  cropping 
system  is  followed. 

Again,  crop  rotation  permits  raising  livestock  and  means  di- 
versified farming.  No  one  will  deny  the  benefits  of  this  type 
of  farming  in  stabilizing  farm  business  and  making  best  use 
of  labor  and  equipment  the  year  around. 

It  should  not  be  understood,  however,  that  crop  rotation 
means  maintaining  the  supply  of  plant  food  better  than  where 
a single  cropping  system  is  practiced.  It  is  often  said  that 
certain  crops  are  ‘‘hard”  on  the  soil  in  the  sense  that  they 
remove  more  plant  food  than  other  crops.  In  part  that  is  true, 
but  a more  important  difference  is  that  some  plants  remove 
more  of  certain  elements  than  others.  Again,  a crop  like  corn, 
because  of  its  root  development  and  length  of  growing  season, 
may  utilize  plant  food  that  is  less  soluble. 

Potatoes  require  relatively  more  potassium ; corn  draws 
heavily  on  nitrogen;  while  legumes  are  heavy  feeders  of  lime 
(calcium)  and  also  require  large  amounts  of  phosphorus,  po- 
tassium, and  nitrogen  (some  of  which  may  be  extracted  from 
the  air  in  the  soil).  Again,  grain  crops  and  roots  require 
plant  food  that  is  readily  available,  while  corn  is  less  par- 
ticular in  this  respect. 

By  properly  rotating  crops,  therefore,  the  soil  is  subjected 
to  these  different  “feeding  characteristics”.  One  crop  com- 
pensates for  the  other,  and  there  is  maintained  more  nearly 
a balanced  condition  than  with  the  single  crop  system. 

It  is  of  great  importance  that  in  selecting  crops  to  grow, 
careful  consideration  be  given  to  the  question  of  climate.  This 
is  about  the  only  factor  which  the  farmer  cannot  control.  A 
poor  soil  may  be  improved,  better  markets  may  be  found,  and 
better  labor  secured ; but  the  farmer  is  powerless  to  change 
climatic  conditions.  He  must,  therefore,  select  such  crops 
as  are  suited  to  his  climate.  * 

The  soil  is  also  a factor  of  great  importance.  As  a general 
rule,  small  grain  crops  do  better  on  heavy  than  on  light  soils, 
and  the  same  is  true  of  grasses  grown  for  hay.  On  the  other 


6b 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY. 


hand,  the  same  variety  of  corn  requires  a shorter  season  for 
maturity  on  light  than  on  heavy  soil.  Rather  light  soils  and 
those  of  intermediate  texture  are  better  adapted  to  potato 
growing. 

Shipping  and  marketing  facilities  must  also  be  considered 
in  planning  a rotation.  The  farmer  located  on  a sandy  loam 
farm  close  to  a railroad  station  or  home  market  will  often 
find  it  profitable  to  include  potatoes  in  his  rotation.  If  he  is 
located  six  or  seven  miles  from  a station,  the  profits  from  grow 
ing  potatoes  will  be  much  lessened.  It  will  then  pay  him  bet 
ter  to  raise  more  corn  for  stock  feeding,  and  to  convert  his 
crops  into  dairy  products  which  are  less  bulky,  and  which  for 
the  same  bulk  have  a greater  value. 

There  is  no  one  best  system  of  rotation.*  The  rotation  dt* 
pends  on  the  system  of  farming,  and  this  depends  largely  on 
the  personal  choice  of  the  farmer,  for  some  prefer  one  system 
and  some  another.  It  is  highly  desirable  to  rotate  crops,  but 
a serious  mistake  to  think  that  rotation  takes  the  place  of 
other  equally  sound  practices,  such  as  liming  and  fertilizing. 

Following  are  a few  suggestions  regarding  the  selection  of 
rotations  for  Outagamie  County. 

1.  Rye. 

2.  Barley,  oats,  or  spring  wheat  seeded  to  clover. 

3.  Clover. 

4.  Cultivated  crop. 

5.  Peas. 

This  rotation  has  been  worked  out  at  the  Experiment  Station 
Farm  at  Madison.  The  following  rotation  has  been  worked  out 
at  the  Experiment  Station  on  sandy  soils : 

1.  Rye,  sown  as  soy  beans. 

2.  Clover. 

3.  Corn  or  potatoes. 

4.  Soy  beans. 

Other  rotations  suited  to  heavier  soils  consists  of 

1.  Corn.' 

2.  Oats  or  barley. 

3.  Clover. 

4.  -Winter  wheat  seeded  to  clover. 

5.  Clover. 

1.  Clover. 


•See  Bulletins  222.  347  Wis.  Exp.  Station. 


GENERAL  AGRICULTURE  AND  CLIMATE. 


67 


2.  A cultivated  crop. 

3.  Peas. 

4.  Winter  wheat  seeded  to  clover. 

A three-year  rotation  which  is  quite  commonly  used  is  a culti- 
vated crop,  followed  by  a small  grain,  followed  by  clover.  This 
may  be  changed  to  a four-year  rotation  by  planting  timothy  and 
clover,  and  cutting  hay  for  two  years.  This  may  be  changed 
to  a five-year  rotation  by  following  mixed  hay  with  peas,  and 
then  following  peas  with  a cultivated  crop.  Potatoes  fit  in  well 
with  a rotation,  and  in  the  sandy  sections  may  be  grown  in  rota- 
tion with  small  grain  and  clover ; the  second  crop  of  clover  is 
plowed  down  to  supply  organic  matter. 

On  the  marsh  lands  as  they  are  reclaimed  the  question  of 
crop  rotation  should  also  be  considered.  There  are  three  types 
of  farming  to  which  marsh  soils  are  adapted,  and  these  are  stock 
raising  or  dairy  farming,  trucking  or  a combination  of  the  two 
in  which  neither  type  predominates.  Grain  farming  cannot  as 
yet  be  recommended  on  marsh  soils.  Where  a farmer  has  thirty 
or  forty  acres  of  peat  he  can  divide  the  field  into  four  parts  and 
raise  cabbage  on  one,  sugar  beets  on  one,  grain  on  one,  and  hay 
on  the  other.  Thus  a four-year  rotation  of  hay,  sugar  beets, 
cabbage  and  grain  would  be  practiced  on  the  peat.  On  a dairy 
farm,  two  or  three  crops  of  corn  may  be  grown  in  succession  but 
in  this  region  one  should  take  into  account  the  danger  from 
frost.  The  corn  may  be  followed  by  grain,  and  this  by  clover 
and  timothy.  The  hay  may  be  cut  the  first  year  and  pastured 
the  second.  Potatoes  may  also  be  grown  on  peat  land  but  here 
again  the  danger  from  frost  must  be  considered.  In  some  local- 
ities outside  of  this  area  in  this  and  other  states,  a one-crop  sys- 
tem is  being  followed  where  celery,  peppermint,  or  some  other 
crop  is  the  entire  source  of  income.  While  a rotation  of  crops 
on  such  land  is  not  absolutely  essential,  a change  of  crops  is  de- 
sirable to  aid  in  the  control  of  weeds  and  insect  pests. 

FARM  EQUIPMENT. 

Agriculture  in  Outagamie  County  is  highly  developed,  and  the 
farm  buildings  over  most  of  the  area  reflect  the  prosperous 
condition  of  the  farm  population.  Large,  well-painted  barns 
equipped  with  modern  appliances  for  the  handling  of  dairy 
cattle,  are  common  throughout  the  Fox  River  Valley,  and  the 
region  covered  by  the  Superior  soils.  The  houses  are  well  con- 


68 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY. 


structed  and  painted;  many  of  them  are  supplied  with  electric 
lights,  telephone,  and  rural  mail  service.  In  1920  there  were 
2,043  silos  and  343  tractors  in  Outagamie  County.  In  the  more 
sandy  and  less  developed  sections  of  the  county  represented  by 
the  districts  in  the  central  and  north  central  part,  the  farm 
buildings  are  not  so  well  constructed,  neither  are  they  kept  in 
as  good  repair,  as  in  the  Fox  River  Valley.  Even  in  this  re- 
gion, however,  the  condition  may  be  considered  fair ; and  it  may 
be  said  that  the  fertility  of  the  soil  is  reflected  in  the  character 
of  the  buildings  and  equipment  on  each  farm. 

FARM  TENURE  AND  LABOR. 

In  1920  there  were  3,746  farms  in  Outagamie  County,  the 
average  size  of  which  was  92.9  acres.  Of  this  number  of  farms 
only  688  are  operated  by  foreign  born  farmers;  84.1  per  cent 
of  the  land  in  the  county  is  in  farms,  and  of  the  land  in  farms 
68  per  cent  is  improved.  There  are  on  each  farm  an  average 
of  63.2  acres  of  improved  land. 

Of  all  the  farms,  90.81  per  cent,  or  3,400  farms,  are  operated 
by  the  owners,  42  by  managers,  and  304  are  operated  by  tenants. 
Of  the  farms  which  are  rented,  somewhat  more  than  50  per 
cent  are  on  a cash  rental  basis,  and  the  remainder  on  a share 
basis. 

# 

The  census  of  1920  reported  2,271  farms  in  the  county  upon 
which  there  was  a mortgage  debt.  The  same  report  indicated 
that  1,039  farms  were  free  from  mortgaged  debt.  There  was 
no  report  on  a number  of  farms. 

The  supply  of  farm  labor  is  fairly  good.  In  many  cases  women 
and  children  assist  in  farm  work.  When  men  are  hired  by 
the  year  or  month,  the  wage  ranges  from  $40.00  to  $70.00  a 
month,  depending  on  the  experience  of  the  man.  Married  men 
are  usually  given  a house  in  which  to  live  as  well  as  fuel  and  a 
garden.  During  harvest  and  haying  times  when  extra  labor  is 
often  needed,  the  wages  are  somewhat  higher  than  this,  when 
engaged  by  the  day. 

METHODS. 

In  general,  the  methods  of  farming  which  are  followed  are 
practically  the  same  as  those  practiced  throughout  the  general 
farming  and  dairying  sections  in  Wisconsin.  The  silo  is  in 
common  use,  and  about  60  per  cent  of  the  corn  crop  is  handled 


GENERAL  AGRICULTURE  AND  CLIMATE. 


69 


as  ensilage.  The  hay  crop  is  usually  stored  in  the  barn  or 
stacked,  and  used  mainly  as  feed  for  stock.  In  the  production 
of  crops,  modern  machinery  is  in  use,  and  the  tractor  is  quite 
common  in  most  parts  of  the  county.  It  is  considered  desirable 
to  plow  heavy  land  in  the  fall  if  it  is  possible  to  do  so,  but  on 
light,  sandy  soils  spring  plowing  is  preferable.  On  almost  all 
farms  a rotation  of  crops  is  practiced,  although  not  always  the 
one  which  is  best  suited  to  conditions  prevailing  on  the  farm. 

The  heavy  soils  of  the  Superior  series  require  careful  tillage 
and  must  be  plowed  when  the  moisture  conditions  are  most 
favorable  in  order  to  prevent  the  formation  of  clods.  Heavy 
tools  and  work  stock  are  needed  on  this  land,  but  when  culti- 
vated under  proper  conditions  but  little  difficulty  is  experienced 
in  securing  a good  seed  bed. 

In  the  cultivation  of  marsh  soils  which  are  beginning  to  be 
improved,  the  use  of  a roller  for  compacting  the  peat  is  very 
important.  The  roller  is  also  an  implement  which  can  be  used 
to  advantage  on  the  sandy  soils,  and  the  corrugated  roller  is 
especially  desirable. 

LIMING.* 

Outagamie  County  lies  in  part  within  the  glaciated  limestone 
region  of  Wisconsin,  and  a considerable  proportion  of  the  soils 
have  been  derived  in  part  from  limestone,  material.  The  sub- 
soil of  most  of  the  types  is  well  supplied  with  lime,  and  the 
surface  of  the  soil  in  many  places  is  neutral  or  only  very 
slightly  acid;  in  fact,  many  tests  for  acidity  have  been  made 
where  the  soil  does  not  show  any  reaction  whatever.  The  types 
which  are  most  apt  to  show  an  acid  reaction  are  soils  of  the 
Antigo  series,  Whitman  series,  Coloma  series,  and  the  peat  soils. 
Where  the  peat  is  surrounded  by  soils  of  the  Superior  series, 
the  least  acidity  in  marshes  is  found. 

The  degree  of  acidity  is  somewhat  variable,  and  each  farmer 
may  find  a variation  in  acidity  on  his  farm.  It  is  essential, 
therefore,  that  every  farm  should  have  his  various  fields  tested 
before  making  an  expenditure  for  lime.  The  county  agent  can 
do  this,  or  samples  may  be  sent  to  the  Soils  Department  of  the 
University  where  free  tests  will  be  made.  Failure  of  Clevel- 
and alfalfa  or  a growth  of  sorrel  may  be  an  indication  of  acidity. 

*See  Bulletin  No.  312  Wisconsin  Experiment  Station. 


70 


SOIL  SUEUEY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY. 


About  two  tons  of  ground  limestone  per  acre  is  the  usual  ap- 
plication where  soils  show  slight  to  medium  acidity.  The  amount 
to  be  used,  however,  may  vary  with  the  degree  of  acidity,  the 
character  of  the  soil,  and  the  crop  to  be  grown.  Such  crops 
as  alfalfa,  sweet  clover,  peas,  cabbage,  onions,  and  lettuce  have 
a high  lime  requirement.  Clover,  garden  beans,  barley,  hemp, 
turnips,  and  radishes  have  a medium  lime  requirement,  while 
vetch,  white  clover,  oats,  rye,  blue  grass,  potatoes,  sorghum,  and 
others  have  a low  requirement  for  lime. 

Ground  limestone  is  doubtless  the  most  economical  form  of 
lime  which  can  be  extensively  utilized  in  Outagamie  County. 
Lime  should  be  applied  previous  to  planting  the  crop  which 
is  to  be  benefited.  It  should  be  applied  to  plowed  land  and 
thoroughly  worked  in  by  harrowing.  Either  fall,  winter,  or 
spring  applications  may  be  made  on  heavy  soils,  but  on  light 
soils  spring  application  is  preferable. 

The  best  way  to  apply  lime  is  with  a regular  spreader  made 
for  this  purpose,  and  there  are  a number  on  the  market.  A 
manure  spreader  may  also  be  used  by  first  putting  in  a thin  layer 
of  manure  and  spreading  the  limestone  evenly  on  top  of  the 
manure.  Where  several  farmers  are  so  situated  that  they  can 
work  together,  a lime  spreader  may  be  secured  jointly  for  this 
purpose. 

After  making  a first  application  of  two  tons  per  acre,  it  is 
not  likely  that  another  application  will  be  needed  for  four  to 
six  years,  and  the  need  should  again  be  determined  by  soil 
acidity  tests,  as  wTell  as  by  the  story  which  the  crops  them- 
selves tell. 

It  should  be  remembered  that  most  acid  soils  are  also  deficient 
in  available  phosphorus,  but  applying  lime  will  not  add  to  the 
total  amount  of  phosphorus  in  the  soil.  The  need  of  phos- 
phorus may  be  so  great  that  but  little  result  will  be  secured  from 
liming  until  phosphorus  is  also  added.  Frequently  the  appli- 
cation of  phosphorus  alone  to  an  acid  soil  will  result  in  larger 
increases  than  the  use  of  lime  alone,  and  for  this  reason,  it  is 
important  that  both  deficiencies  should  be  corrected  to  secure 
the  most  economical  production. 


GEN  REAL  AGRICULTURE  AND  CLIMATE. 


71 


DISTRIBUTION  OF  LIME,  COMMERCIAL  FERTILIZER  AND  MANURE.* 

Phosphate  or  other  fertilizers  or  lime  should  be  uniformly 
distributed.  Ground  limestone  is  applied  at  the  rate  of  from 
2,000  to  4,000  pounds  or  more  an  acre,  while  with  phosphates 
and  other  fertilizers  the  amount  .applied  for  staple  crops  is 
usually  from  75  to  400  pounds.  It  is  difficult  to  construct  a 
machine  which  will  satisfactorily  distribute  both  fertilizer  and 
limestone,  although  excellent  machines  are  on  the  market  for 
distributing  each  separately.  The  fertilizer  distributor  may 
be  a part  of  a grain  drill  or  a separate  machine.  The  ma- 
chine for  distributing  ground  limestone  should  be  provided 
with  a double  agitator  so  as  to  secure  continuous  feeding. 

End  gate  seeders  which  will  distribute  proper  amounts  of 
either  fertilizer  or  ground  limestone  fairly  well  are  available. 

When  a fertilizer  distributor  is  not  available  the  acid  phos- 
phate or  other  fertilizer  may  be  spread  evenly  over  the  manure 
in  the  manure  spreader,  and  so  receive  a very  fair  distribution. 
This  method  will  give  very  good  results  until  such  time  as  a 
grain  drill  with  fertilizer  attachment  can  be  purchased.  The 
amount  to  be  applied  on  each  spreader  load  must  be  calculated 
so  the  right  amount  per  acre  will  be  applied.  An  old  drill  or 
seeder  may  also  be  used  to  distribute  the  fertilizer  going  ahead 
of  the  grain  drill. 

The  care  and  use  of  the  manure  produced  is  an  important 
factor  in  the  management  of  dairy  and  stock  farms.  The  chief 
advantage  of  these  types  of  farming  is  that  the  proper  use  of 
the  manure  or  other  waste  products  makes  it  possible  to  main- 
tain profitable  yields  with  comparatively  little  purchased  fer- 
tilizer. But  it  is  only  when  intelligent  care  is  taken  that  this 
result  is  possible.  Much  of  the  available  plant  food  in  manure 
is  readily  soluble  in  water,  so  that  if  the  manure  is  exposed 
to  the  rain  in  flat  or  shallow  piles,  a considerable  part  of  its 
value  is  lost.  This  affects  nitrogen  and  potash  especially.  It  is 
important  also  to  recognize  that  a large  portion  of  this  element 
is  in  the  liquid  part  of  the  manure  and  that  it  is  necessary, 
therefore,  to  use  bedding  or  absorbents  freely  to  prevent  a con- 
siderable loss.  This  is  particularly  true  of  potash,  about  60  per 
cent  of  which  is  contained  in  the  liquid  manure. 

*For  detailed  information  on  the  use  of  commercial  fertilizers  see 
bulletins  of  the  Wisconsin  Experiment  Station. 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY. 


Ordinarily  the  best  practice  is  to  haul  the  manure  directly 
to  the  field.  When  this  is  not  practicable  the  pile  should  be 
kept  compact,  well  trodden  and  moist,  as  it  can  be  through  the 
use  of  slightly  saucer-shaped  manure  pit,  from  the  outer  sides 
of  which  the  ground  slopes  away  so  as  to  prevent  water  wash- 
ing into  the  pit  itself.  In  this  climate  the  use  of  shelter  is  of 
doubtful  importance,  though  where  more  rains  occur,  particu- 
larly in  the  winter,  a shed  roof  is  very  helpful. 

The  rate  and  frequency  with  which  manure  is  applied  de- 
pends in  part  on  the  character  of  the  soil  on  the  farm.  On 
lighter  soils  more  frequent  applications  of  small  amounts  are 
desirable  than  on  heavier  soils.  Five  or  six  loads  per  acre  every 
third  year  is  desirable  on  the  sandy  loams,  while  eight  to  twelve 
or  more  every  fourth  or  even  fifth  year  may  be  used  to  ad- 
vantage on  heavier  soils. 


DRAINAGE.* 

Outagamie  County  has  approximately  115,000  acres  of  land 
which  the  soil  survey  has  classed  as  poorly  drained,  and  which 
must  be  provided  with  some  form  of  drainage  before  cultivated 
crops  can  be  grown  safely  from  year  to  year.  Of  this  poorly 
drained  land,  approximately  50  per  cent  consists  of  peat,  nearly 
15,000  acres  consists  of  overflow  land  classed  as  Genesee,  and 
the  remainder  consists  of  low,  poorly  drained  mineral  soils,  be- 
longing to  the  Poygan,  Whitman,  and  Clyde  Series.  This  esti 
mate  does  not  include  the  Superior  clay  loam  which  is  a level, 
heavy  soil,  needing  drainage  in  places. 

The  largest  areas  of  undrained  land  occur  in  the  northwest- 
ern quarter  and  the  west  central  parts  adjoining  the  Wolf. 
Embarrass,  and  Shioc  Rivers. 

At  the  present  time,  there  are  approximately  eighteen  thou- 
sand acres  of  poorly  drained  land  in  operating  drainage  enter- 
prises. Of  this,  5,468  acres  are  classed  as  improved,  but  only 
2 to  3 per  cent  of  this  improved  land  is  actually  in  farms. 
There  are  68.4  miles  of  open  ditches  with  six  additional  miles 
under  construction.  The  amount  of  capital  invested  in  enter- 
prises which  have  been  completed  or  which  are  under  construc- 
t'on  amounts  to  $167,540. 

♦Those  who  arc  interested  in  drainage  should  apply  to  the  Wisconsin 
Experiment  Station  for  more  specific  information  concerning-  their  indi- 
vidual problems.  Several  drainage  bulletins  are  available. 


GENERAL  AGRICULTURE  AND  CLIMATE . 7;> 

The  type  of  low  land  which  offers  the  greatest  opportunity  for 
drainage  is  included  in  the  Poygan,  Whitman,  and  Clyde  Series. 
These  types  of  land  when  thoroughly  drained  will  all  make 
excellent  farm  land,  and  conditions  are  such  that  most  of  this 
land  can  be  reclaimed  at  a cost  which  will  make  the  development 
profitable.  The  peat  soils,  on  the  other  hand,  require  much 
more  careful  cultivation  and  fertilization  after  drainage,  and 
much  of  this  land  also  lies  tributary  to  large  streams  which  are 
sluggish  in  their  movement,  and  the  lowering  of  which  is  fre- 
quently necessary  before  the  adjoining  peat  land  can  be  thor- 
oughly drained. 

The  drainage  of  some  of  the  peat,  therefore,  offers  obstacles 
greater  than  the  drainage  of  the  heavier  soils.  There  are  consid- 
erable areas  of  peat  land,  however,  which  can  be  readily  drained, 
and  on  which  drainage  enterprises  are  now  under  way.  The 
completion  of  these  various  drainage  enterprises  will  add  a large 
acreage  to  the  tillable  land  within  the  county. 

Most  of  the  marsh  land  within  the  county  is  still  unimproved, 
and  the  chief  use  which  is  being  made  of  it  is  for  pasture  and 
to  some  extent  for  marsh  hay. 

Where  areas  of  low  land  include  several  farms,  the  owners 
can  readily  form  a drainage  district,  and  sell  bonds  to  pay  for 
the  improvement.  This  is  the  method  which  has  been  used,  and 
a number  of  drainage  districts  have  already  been  established 
in  the  county.  In  this  way,  the  cost  of  the  drainage  can  be 
spread  over  a number  of  years,  and  can  actually  be  paid  for 
from  the  products  of  the  improved  acres.  Assistance  in  the 
development  of  such  projects  can,  and  in  fact  must,  be  secured 
from  the  state  authorities,  who  pass  upon  the  possibility  of  the 
project  before  the  state  permits  the  organization  of  a drainage 
district.  Where  the  areas  of  marsh  land  are  small  and  confined 
to  one  farm,  and  where  there  is  sufficient  outlet,  the  farmer  can 
install  his  own  tile  system  without  the  co-operation  of  adjoining 
land  owners.  This  has  been  done  on  a number  of  occasions,  yet 
there  are  thousands  of  acres  in  small  tracts  which  have  not  been 
improved. 

For  a more  detailed  discussion  of  drainage,  see  bulletins  284 
and  309,  Wisconsin  Experiment  Station. 


74 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY. 


CLIMATE. 

The  climate  of  Outagamie  County  is  typical  of  that  of  east- 
central  Wisconsin.  It  is  healthful,  though  subject  to  extreme 
changes  in  temperature.  The  winters  are  long  and  severe.  The 
thermometer  frequently  falls  as  low  as  — 20°  F.  The  ground 
freezes  to  a depth  of  1 to  3 feet.  Snow  usually  remains  on  the 
ground  from  December  to  March  or  later  and  protects  such  win- 
ter crops  as  clover,  alfalfa,  and  wheat.  The  summers  are  com- 
paratively short,  but  pleasant.  The  thermometer  sometimes 
reaches  100°  F.  or  more.  The  highest  temperature  recorded  at 
New  London  is  104°  F..  but  such  extremes  are  rare.  The  hot- 
test periods  during  the  summer  months  seldom  continue  for  more 
than  a few  days,  and  it  is  unusual  for  the  temperature  to  re- 
main below  zero  for  more  than  a week  at  a time  during  the 
winter. 

The  average  rainfall  of  32.68  inches  is  distributed  throughout 
the  year,  although  the  precipitation  is  heaviest  during  the  grow- 
ing season  and  lightest  in  the  winter.  The  average  for  the  sum- 
mer months  of  June,  July  and  August  is  11.63  inches. 

The  average  date  of  the  last  killing  frost  in  the  spring,  as  re- 
corded at  New  London,  is  May  10,  and  that  of  the  first  in  the 
fall,  September  25.  This  gives  an  average  growing  season  of 
138  days.  The  length,  however,  varies  somewhat  in  different 
parts  of  the  county,  and  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the  county, 
in  the  region  of  the  Fox  River,  the  season  may  be  5 to  10  days 
longer.  Killing  frost  has  been  recorded  at  New  London  as  late 
in  the  spring  as  June  12  and  as  early  in  the  fall  as  August  30. 

In  the  following  table  are  given  the  more  important  climatic 
data  as  recorded  by  the  Weather  Bureau  station  at  New  London  : 


GENERAL  AGRICULTURE  AND  CLIMATE. 


/.) 


NORMAL  MONTHLY,  SEASONAL,  AND  ANNUAL  TEMPERATURE  AND  PRECIPI- 
TATION AT  NEW  LONDON. 


Temperature.  Precipitation. 


Month. 

Mean. 

Absolute 

Maxi- 

mum. 

! 

Absolute 

mini- 

mum. 

Mean. 

Total 
amount 
for  the 
driest 
year 
(1910) . 

Total 
amount 
for  the 
wettest 
year 
! (1916). 

O Jft 

°F. 

1 

Inches. 

Inches. 

December  ... 

20.5 

53 

1 — 25 

1.39 

0.82 

0.73 

January  ..  _ _ 

15.4 

52 

1 -31 

1.10 

1.16 

2.89 

February...  _ _ _ 

16.1 

50 

i —37 

1.28 

.84 

1.23 

Winter ' ...  _ . 

17.3 

53 

—37 

3.77 

2.82 

4.85 

March 

29.6 

82 

—18 

2.04 

.12 

1.79 

April . _ . _ _ 

41.5 

87 

8 

2.69 

5.89 

2.27 

May 

56.1 

91 

20 

1.41 

1.63 

5.35 

Spring- ...  _ . 

43.4 

91 

—18 

9.14 

7.64 

9.41 

June..  . . _ ... 

65.8 

104 

32 

3.94 

1.16 

6.81 

July • ..  

70.4 

102 

41 

4.35 

.78 

1.70 

August--  

67.9 

97 

33 

3.34 

2.78 

3.78 

Summer 

68.0 

104 

32 

11.63 

4.72 

12.29 

September  ...  .......  

60.  b 

97 

19 

3.67 

4.83 

6.40 

October _ _ 

48.8 

85 

14 

2.50 

1.30 

4.75 

November 

33.6 

71 

14 

1.97 

2.34 

2.70 

Fall 

47.6 

97 

-14 

8.14 

8.47 

13.® 

Year  . . 

44.1 

104 

—37 

32.68 

28.65 

40.40 

I 


76 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY. 


SUMMARY. 

Outagamie  County  is  situated  in  the  east  central  part  of  Wis- 
consin, between  Lake  Winnebago  and  Green  Bay.  It  has  an 
area  of  646  square  miles,  or  413,440  acres. 

All  of  the  county  drains  directly  or  indirectly  into  Green  Bay. 
The  southeastern  corner  is  traversed  by  the  Fox  River,  which 
flows  directly  into  Green  Bay.  The  western  part  of  the  county 
is  crossed  by  the  Embarrass,  Shioc  and  Wolf  .Rivers,  the  waters 
of  which  find  their  way  into  Lake  Winnebago,  and  then  through 
the  Fox  River  into  Green  Bay.  The  first-named  streams  are 
rather  sluggish,  but  the  Fox  River  in  a distance  of  35  miles  has 
a fall  of  170  feet.  Many  large  manufacturing  establishments 
use  power  developed  from  this  stream. 

Farm  operations  in  this  county  followed  closely  upon  the  re- 
moval of  the  timber.  All  parts  of  the  county  are  well  improved. 
The  northwestern  part,  which  contains  considerable  areas  of 
Peat  marshes  and  some  tracts  of  sandy  soil,  is  least  developed. 

All  parts  of  the  county  are  well  supplied  with  railroads,  and 
the  wagon  roads  throughout  the  county  are  generally  in  good 
condition.  Under  a State  Highway  improvement  law  many 
gravel  and  crushed-rock  roads  are  now  being  constructed.  A 
system  of  concrete  roads,  which  will  ultimately  connect  the 
county  seat  with  practically  all  towns  in  the  county,  is  one  of 
the  most  important  road  projects. 

The  soils  of  Outagamie  County  have  been  derived  from  glacial, 
lacustrine,  and  alluvial  material.  In  addition,  there  are  large 
deposits  of  Peat,  consisting  of  partly  decayed  organic  matter. 
The  soils  are  classified  into  10  series  and  24  types,  exclusive  of 
Peat. 

The  Superior  series  include  light-brown  soils  with  heavy,  red 
clay  subsoils,  occupying  areas  where  the  surface  is  level  to  roll- 
ing. The  fine  sandy  loam,  loam,  silt  loam,  and  clay  loam  are 
mapped  in  this  survey. 

The  Poygan  series  consists  of  dark-colored,  low  lying,  poorly 
drained  soils  having  heavy,  red  clay  subsoils.  In  this  county  the 
fine  sandy  loam,  silt  loam  and  clay  loam  are  mapped. 

The  Coloina  series  includes  the  light-colored,  light  textured 
soils  which  have  been  derived  through  glacial  action  largely  from 
sandstone.  The  Coloma  fine  sand  and  fine  sandy  loam  are 
mapped  in  this  county. 


GENERAL  AGRICULTURE  AND  CLIMATE. 


77 


The  Antigo  series  consists  of  light-colored,  soils  which  occupy 
outwash  plains  or  stream  terraces  where  the  material  has  come 
mainly  from  crystalline  rocks.  The  types  mapped  in  this  sur- 
vey are  the  fine  sandy  loam  and  loam. 

The  Plainfield  fine  sand  is  similar  to  the  Antigo  soils  except 
that  it  has  been  derived  largely  from  sandstone  material. 

The  Miami  fine  sandy  loam  and  loam  are  light-colored  upland 
soils  derived  chiefly  from  glaciated  limestone  material. 

The  Whitman  series  is  similar  to  the  Antigo  except  that  the 
soils  are  dark  colored  and  contain  much  larger  amounts  of  or- 
ganic matter.  They  are  often  acid.  The  types  mapped  are  the 
fine  sandy  loam  and  loam. 

The  Clyde  series  consists  of  low-lying,  dark-colored  soils  occu- 
pying old  lake  beds  or  stream  valleys  where  the  soil  material  has 
come  largely  from  glaciated  limestone.  They  are  similar  to  the 
Whitman  soils  except  that  they  contain  considerable  lime  car- 
bonate and  are  very  seldom  acid.  The  members  of  the  Clyde 
series  mapped  are  the  fine  sandy  loam,  till  phase,  .and  the  silt 
loam,  till  phase. 

The  Genesee  series  consists  of  brown  soils  which  occupy  first 
bottoms  along  streams  in  the  glaciated  region.  They  are  sub- 
ject to  overflow.  The  fine  sandy  loam  and  silt  loam  are  mapped 
in  this  county. 

In  addition  to  the  above  soils,  extensive  areas  of  Peat  are 
mapped  in  Outagamie  County.  Peat  consists  of  decaying  vege- 
table matter  with  which  there  has  been  incorporated  a very  small 
amount  of  fine  mineral  particles. 

Agriculture  in  this  county  consists  chiefly  of  general  farming, 
with  dairying  as  the  most  important  branch.  The  chief  crops 
grown  are  hay,  oats,  corn,  barley  and  r}^e.  Smaller  acreages 
are  devoted  to  such  crops  as  potatoes,  cabbage,  sugar  beets  and 
buckwheat. 

Dairy  products  find  their  way  to  market  chiefly  in  the  form  of 
butter  and  cheese.  In  1917  there  were  produced  in  this  county 
over  9y2  million  pounds  of  cheese.  There  are  21  butter  factories 
and  86  cheese  factories  in  the  county. 

Holstein  cows  are  most  numerous  in  the  dairy  herds  and  all 
the  dairy  stock  is  gradually  being  improved. 

In  1920  there  were  a total  of  3,746  farms  in  the  county,  of  an 
average  size  of  92.9  acres.  About  91  per  cent  of  the  farms  were 
operated  by  the  owners. 


78 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  OUTAGAMIE  COUNTY. 


Well-located  and  highly  improved  farms  have  a selling  price 
at  present  of  $150  to  $250  an  acre.  Rather  sandy  soils  of  low 


agricultural  value  have  a selling  price  of  $20  to  $50  an  acre, 
depending  upon  the  location,  improvements,  soil  condition  and 
other  factors. 

The  climate  of  Outagamie  County  is  representative  of  a large 
section  of  eastern  Wisconsin.  The  mean  annual  rainfall  is  32.7 
inches.  The  average  length  of  the  growing  season  as  recorded 
at  New  London  is  138  days. 


1 

m . - 1 

1 I | 

#i  n. 1 


♦ 


